A Debt of Honour
by Lady Willamina
Summary: An AU version of SE04 EP09, 'Lancelot Du Lac'. Merlin is determined not to let Lancelot's honourable name be defiled. Together with Percival, who also notices something amiss with Lancelot, he vows to keep Morgana's latest plan from succeeding. The results may lead to Arthur finally realising where his true loyalties should lie.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

**SUMMARY: AU version of SE04 EP09, 'Lancelot Du Lac' where it isn't only Merlin who notices that Lancelot doesn't seem quite right and Gwen's friends have faith that she is not capable of betrayal. **

**A/N; I have read many comments from fans saying that they dislike this episode so I am surprised there are not a lot of AU versions already floating around. I have certainly come across many fics where the enchanted bracelet was recovered but only a few that seek to put to rights the idea that Lancelot is a traitor.  
This story starts at the point where Merlin realises that this version of Lancelot cannot be the real thing, as he does not know that Merlin possesses magic.  
Thank you to M.D. Jensen for letting me use the version of Percival's family that she invented in her absolutely beautiful story "To Honour the Fallen". (Go and read it now if you haven't already!)**

Merlin stumbled out of his room, still in shock with the gut wrenching realisation that the Lancelot who had suddenly appeared during today's introductory round for the jousting tournament, was not the noble, self sacrificing Lancelot he so fondly remembered.

Truth be told, he'd suspected it from the moment he first laid eyes on the knight but had managed to deny the painful reality until now.

The idea of somebody defiling his friend turned his stomach and his magic itched with the need to find out who had done this and for what purpose.

Some of the shock must have been apparent on his face as he shambled past Gaius as he sat at his desk just outside the door to Merlin's room.

"Oh no, I've seen that face before."

Merlin breathed deep before speaking, "I wanted to believe that everything was fine. That we had the real Lancelot back." His voice was filled with forlorn desperation.

Gaius stared back at him, brow furrowed in bemusement.

"It's not him Gaius. He doesn't remember I have magic. The real Lancelot would never forget that." Merlin spoke just above a whisper, not wanting the intruder to overhear.

Apart from his mentor, Lancelot had been the only person in Camelot who Merlin could share his burdens with and the only one who truly knew and accepted him for what he was. His presence in Camelot had given Merlin a much needed friend and somebody to lean on when it seemed his destiny was an impossible dream. The Knight had a special place in Merlin's heart and his loss at The Isle of the Blessed had scarred the warlock forever.

Gaius glanced in the direction of Merlin's room before answering. "It certainly looks like him Merlin. Are you sure he's not just tired? This is all probably as exhausting for him, as it is for us."

"No, it's more than that. It felt wrong from the start." He turned to look at Gaius more sternly, "How could a man possibly make his way out of the underworld Gaius? The Caillech demanded a permanent sacrifice; she wouldn't have just thrown him out or allowed him to leave of his own volition."

"Mmmm. I would've thought it impossible too. Only those of the Old Religion would possess that knowledge. Are you sure of what you're suggesting Merlin?"

"Believe me, I wish I wasn't. But it's not him Gaius, I'm sure of it."

"If what you say is true, why is that thing here? I fear something treacherous is afoot."

The two looked at each other for a few seconds, until they both spoke almost in unison.

"Morgana?"

"But why?" Merlin added. "and how?"

"First things first my boy. I need to try and work out how this entity has been summoned. Then we may have a better idea of who's behind it."

Gaius put down his quill and crossed the room towards the tomes of magic and the Old Religion that he had piled up in a dark corner shelf. Although Arthur, and Uther before him, knew he still retained some books containing banned subjects, they had no idea of the true scope of knowledge Gaius had managed to save from the flames during The Great Purge. Their content had proved invaluable against foes of magical origin in the past and the two men hoped they would again provide some answers.

"Looks like we'll be having a long night Merlin," the old physician exclaimed as he set a stack of books down in front of his ward, and donned his reading spectacles.

Merlin's face fell. He was already tired from attending Arthur all day as he welcomed his wedding (and tournament) guests. He sneezed loudly as he opened the dusty book on top of his pile. He didn't know at the time but it would be the volume entitled 'The Art of Necromancy' at the bottom of the stack of books that would give him the information he needed.

* * *

Throughout the next day, Merlin watched Lancelot as closely as he could, on the alert for anything that could indicate an ulterior motive. He saw nothing suspicious however and the knight behaved with all the graciousness he always had.

Besides completing the duties demanded of him by Arthur, Merlin always tried to keep an eye on those knights he was closest too and he was a very interested spectator when Percival took on a visiting knight in the second last joust of the day.

He had already watched on proudly as Leon won his bouts with ease. The experienced knight's confidence and skill made the art of jousting look a whole lot simpler than it really was. Gwaine and Elyan were new to the sport however and neither had been in an organized jousting tournament before but their competitive spirit and natural talent saw them through to the final rounds the next day.

Percival on the other hand seemed to be having a few difficulties. He had almost been unhorsed during his bout that morning and as he took the field to take on the Knight Errand, Merlin observed him make a couple of mistakes more akin to a novice.

The warlock spent a great deal of time with the knights; during training, on patrols and relaxing with them during his off time, so had become very familiar with their body language and likely responses. It was clear from Percival's behaviour that day, that something had rattled the largest of the knights and Merlin could not help but worry about the cause of his unease.

Arthur was standing next to Merlin as they watched Percival's bout and the King was not pleased with what he had just witnessed.

"He's fighting like an untrained commoner not a knight of Camelot." Arthur exclaimed indignantly.

"Or like someone whose mind is elsewhere."

"What was that Merlin?" the King asked half heartedly, not really interested in anything except his beautiful betrothed who was picking her way through the crowds toward him, a smile upon her face that could outdo the sun.

Noticing that Percival wasn't the only one distracted, Merlin shouted out a few words of reassurance to the largest of knights.

"Bad luck Percival."

The large man looked back at him, face drawn tight in worry.

"Don't be so hard on yourself. It was only your first jousting comp. after all." Merlin added, trying to ease his friend's tension.

* * *

Once the day's duels were complete Merlin dragged Arthur's armour back his tent and settled down for an hour or so of repairing and polishing before supper. Actually, there wasn't much repairing to do but the castle was so manic at the moment, that he thought it was the best place for finding a bit of peace and quiet.

"Merlin," a soft voice called out to him. "I was hoping to find you alone."

"Percival," Merlin sat up straight, armour forgotten. "You should be with the other knights at the tavern."

The afternoon sun shone through the red canvas, filling the interior with a warm, fiery glow and as Percival entered he too was enveloped in the comforting hue.

"You were close to Lancelot weren't you Merlin?" the knight sat down stiffly on a wooden chair beside the servant. "Out of everybody in Camelot, you would notice if there was something wrong with him, wouldn't you?"

"I'm not sure what you're getting at?" he answered evasively, not sure he liked where the conversation was headed.

"Merlin," although Percival was speaking softly, he conveyed a seriousness that was verging on fear. "It's not him. I'm sure of it. I know it sounds crazy but you must have noticed it too surely?"

Merlin stood up, backing away, his eyes closed tightly torn between telling Percival of his suspicions and denying he had noticed anything.

"Can you come to Gaius' rooms tonight?" He finally managed, "We can't talk here."

* * *

Later that evening Gaius was in the midst of preparing supper for himself and his ward when he was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Come in!" Gaius called.

Percival entered the physician's chambers tentatively, eyes casting round the room.

"Are you injured Sir Percival?" Gaius enquired of the Knight, looking him up and down for signs of damage.

"Ah, no. There was something I needed to talk to Merlin about actually."

"Well, come and sit. He should be finished with his duties to the king by now. He's not usually late for supper." Gaius spoke, noting the nervous fidgeting and awkward grin.

"Is there something I can help you with?"

Percival tried to think of an excuse and was all set to make his getaway when the door flew open.

"Sorry I'm late," Merlin came bustling in, talking to his mentor as he hung up his jacket. "Can you believe he had me sorting through his wardrobe? He doesn't want Gwen to think he's a messy slob. Honestly, I think she's well aware of his personal misgivings by now but no I've got to stay late and ...Oh, Percival." He stopped his complaining abruptly upon noticing the knight.

"Percival came to see you Merlin." Gaius gave his ward the what's-going-on-here eyebrow.

Merlin sat down heavily at the table, gesturing for Percival to do the same.

"Actually Gaius, it's something you need to hear too. Percival has his doubts about Lancelot too."

Gaius' eyebrow was almost at his hairline as his eyes went from Merlin's to Percival's.

"I know it sounds crazy but if you'll just listen." Percival stopped, bracing himself for the memories. "When I first met Lancelot, I was in a bad way."

Percival recounted the tale of his family's deaths and his subsequent encounter with Lancelot. His father, mother, and the twins (a 16 year old brother and sister) had been killed outright by Cenred's men and Percival had fled into the forest with his youngest brother, Frederick, who was gravely injured during the attack. The boy died in Percival's arms two days later and it was the morning of the following day that Lancelot found him, still clutching the body of his sibling in his arms. Together they buried Frederick then returned to the family farm to give Percival's slaughtered relatives decent burials.

"I felt like there was nothing left to live for. Lancelot got me through the worst days of my life Merlin. He made me realise that wasting my life in anger and grief was not what they would've wanted."

Gaius and Merlin were quiet, both honoured and touched by the trust Percival was showing in them by telling his tale.

"Anyway, before the tourney today ...Lancelot said something that didn't add up." The knight was breathing hard, his distress obvious. "Lord Godwyn's knights were going through some exercises with a couple of the other visiting knights. Lancelot, Gwaine, Elyan and I were watching; just checking out the competition you know? Anyway, Lancelot made a joke about how Sir Tolmy could be my brother."

Lord Godwyn's champion was a man mountain. He was taller than even Percival and had the brawn to match.

"Perhaps he was confused?" Gaius questioned in self appointed role of devil's advocate.

Percival shook his head vehemently, "No. He looked me straight in the eye as he was saying it." The knight stood up and took a few steps away from the table, his back towards Merlin and Gaius. "Why would he make a joke out of something like that? He helped me bury my family for god's sake. How could he have forgotten that?"

Merlin looked toward his mentor who gave him a sign to go ahead and tell Percival of their own findings.

"You're not crazy Percival, we think something weird's going on to." Percival turned and returned to his seat at Merlin's words, watching the warlock intently as he continued.

"Just like with you, this 'Lancelot' had forgotten something that happened to me when he first came to Camelot. Something the real Lancelot would never forget."

"We have to tell Arthur." Percival stated.

Gaius humphed. "We need more than just a few suspicions before we worry the King." Gaius authoritative tone settled the knight. "A few lapses in memory cannot be used to condemn a man."

"Have you noticed anything else odd about Lancelot?" Merlin asked.

"Well," Percival started to reply. "Early this morning I saw him come out of Sir Agravine's room. I didn't think much of it at the time but later on when I took my horse to the water trough after my morning bout, I saw them together behind the tents. From the way they were acting, I got the feeling they didn't want anyone to know about it."

Merlin's mind reeled. If Agravaine was involved, it gave greater credence to their theory that Morgana was somehow behind it all. Gaius and himself knew he's been in cohorts with the witch for some time but had no concrete evidence to take to the King (that hadn't involved the use of magic in its collection).

"We have to work out what's happened Merlin. He gave up his life for us, for everyone in Camelot. We owe it to him to find out the truth." Percival appealed to his audience.

Merlin nodded. His skin crawled as he thought about Lancelot being manipulated by Arthur's slimy, scheming Uncle. It was bad enough that he was playing Arthur for a fool; weaselling his way into his heart and confidence, whilst betraying him behind his back.

"We will Percival, I promise you. Can you help me keep a close eye on Lancelot?" Percival nodded, convinced by the absolute surety in Merlin's tone. He had only heard Merlin sound so commanding and authoritative once before; when they were on the trail of the dragon's egg.

Merlin decided there was nothing for it but to do some good old fashioned sneaking about. It was about time to bring an end to Morgana and Agravaine's partnership and his heart skipped a few beats as he resolved that he'd do whatever it took.

* * *

Sleep would not come for the young Warlock that night and it wasn't just because he had given up his own room and bed to Lancelot. Long after the returned knight had gotten back from his evening at the tavern and retired to bed, Merlin lay tossing and turning upon his makeshift bed in Gaius' main room. Sighing heavily, he decided to give up on sleep for the night and do something more useful. Lighting a candle silently, he resumed his research. There was only one more book on his pile to go through.

An hour or so later he jumped to his feet, knocking a couple of vials off the table as he knocked it with his shoulder.

"Gaius, wake up!" he shook the old man's shoulder. "Gaius I've found it."

"What are you doing Merlin! You should be asleep!" Gaius answered, still half asleep.

"No listen to me Gaius. I've been doing some research and I think that Lancelot's been raised from the dead."

The physician looked aghast and was suddenly wide awake.

"What? You mean necromancy?" he hissed.

Merlin face was serious, almost to the point of being severe as he showed his mentor the book he'd been reading.

Gaius fumbled around for his reading glasses as he replied in a tormented voice, "Even in the days of the Old Religion necromancy was viewed with the utmost suspicion. If that creature in there," he gestured towards Merlin's bedroom where Lancelot slept, "is a shade, we need to proceed with the greatest of caution. The first thing we need to do is to establish exactly what manner of being he is."

"I've found a way to determine that." Merlin turned the pages to a picture of a spiral with a series of complex spells and routines outlined beneath. "This book says shades are mere shadows of their former selves; tormented souls summoned from their rest by the necromancer's art."

Merlin's lips pursed in disgust as he thought of the real Lancelot; his confidant and trustworthy friend being used so revoltingly made him feel nauseous and angry, in equal measures.

"I'll prepare the revelation spiral and work on the spell tonight. Tomorrow at dawn, we'll have our proof."

Gaius nodded, impressed by his young ward's determination and dedication.

* * *

Merlin finished painting the spiral pattern on the floor just as the morning daylight started to filter into the high windows of physician's quarters. He had carefully situated it carefully, ensuring that anybody coming down the narrow staircase that lead from his bedroom would have to cross through the swirls.

"_Onluc pa sopan trao_," the Warlock uttered, finishing his preparations. The spiral glowed red as it took on the enchantment, before returning to a flat whitewash that looked completely normal.

A rustling sound from Merlin's room indicated that the inhabitant was awake. Seems Merlin had just been in time.

"Gaius, wake up!" He hissed to his mentor, who had nodded off again some hours ago. "I think he's about to come out. It's time." The two secreted themselves in a closet on the opposite side of the room, ensuring they would have a clear view of the scene through the gaps between the planks of the door.

As the entity calling itself Lancelot moved down the stairs and across the enchanted shape, a foreboding, ghostly skeleton can be seen pulsing through the man's features. As the shade carried on out the door, Merlin and Gaius left their hiding place.

Even though he pretty much knew already that it wasn't really Lancelot, Merlin hadn't let himself completely give up till now.

"I didn't want it to be true," he spoke flatly, looking thoroughly deflated.

"I know, we all wanted him back Merlin. However we must face it; Lancelot is a shade. A shade with ill intent."

"What's going on here Gaius? If Morgana wanted to kill Arthur during the tournament surely there's simpler ways?"

"We're not even sure it is Morgana who's behind this anyway."

"Who else? Perhaps she wants to destroy Camelot's moral as part of her attack. Bring back the great hero, have everyone witness him winning the tournament then unveil him as a creature of dark magic?" Merlin pondered, finding it impossible to imagine the workings of such a bitter, scheming, vengeful individual.

"Maybe. Whatever the case, you'll have to be on guard Merlin. The tournament is the perfect place for Arthur to fall victim. Don't let him out of your sight Merlin."

"I won't."

**A/N: 'Lancelot Du Lac' was my least favourite episode of the entire four series' so far. It was bad enough that they killed off Lancelot at the start of series 4 but to then defile his memory as well was repulsive. It continues to grate on my sensitivities that any other time someone's behaviour is 'off', Merlin notices and acts tirelessly until he knows what going on. Why he wouldn't do that for Gwen, his oldest friend in Camelot, I do not understand.**

**The only reason I can think to explain the concepts of Gwen's betrayal and banishment, Arthur' pain and then his subsequent forgiveness later in the series is that it is meant to be some sort of preamble for the way he'll react when Merlin FINALLY reveals his secret.**

**The only features of the episode that redeem it were the wonderful cinematography and the utterly amazing acting by Bradley James and Angel Colby when Arthur places judgement upon Guinevere after seeing her with Lancelot. (And of course Colin Morgan who is always brilliant and gorgeous, but you all know that anyway!)**

**Feedback appreciated! Thanks.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N; Please note that the tournament in my fic goes for three days which is a day longer than in the original. I am assuming that the scenes where the competitors are spearing a garland of flowers on the tips of their lance's, then presenting it to Gwen are what I have termed the 'Introductory Rounds'.**

**Disclaimer: "Merlin"remains the inellectual property of Shine and the BBC. I am just using the characters for a bit of entertainment.**

* * *

The youth that once toiled away on the family farm living a hand to mouth existence, had come a long way since receiving his knighthood almost two years ago. He had given himself over completely to his new vocation and although he'd never been one for words, Percival had made the most of his common sense approach, steady temperament and amazing physical strength to forge a niche for himself amongst Arthur's most trusted of knights.

Today however, he acknowledged that he'd have to put those duties aside, in the name of friendship and loyalty.

Lancelot had been with Percival when he was at his lowest and without any reward or payment, had stayed with the large man while he worked his way out of the deep, dark hole that his life had become during the horrific attack upon his family home. Indeed, he had been a large part of the reason why Percival had recovered; giving him reason to go on and showing him how to direct his anger and grief into something more positive.

Percival owed everything to this man and he would give his all now, to find out what was behind his friend's predicament.

Not long after sun up on the next morning, Percival took his place outside the physicians quarters so he could keep an eye on Lancelot. He waited for nearly an hour before the dark haired knight opened the door and set off down the stairs.

His family's survival had often necessitated the hunting of forest animals for food, so Percival had learnt stealth and silence very early on and even though he was tall and well muscled, Percival could move with the lightness of one half his size if required. Tracking animals had felt a lot different to this though. Sneaking after his friend - well, what looked like his friend - felt wrong and Percival had to keep reminding himself what he was doing this for.

Lancelot took a straight path toward the lower town then continued past Thomas' cottage with the pig pens out the front and beyond the Rising Sun to stop at the door of Gwen's cottage.

* * *

Merlin had risen before dawn to check the wards he'd set on Agravaine's door the night before to establish that nobody had entered or left his chambers all night. He then rushed to the kitchens to collect Arthur's breakfast on his way to waking the King and preparing him for the days tourney. Rushing through his morning chores he grabbed Arthur's dirty washing and sprinted back to Agravaine's on the pretence of collecting the King's lucky undershirt from the laundry. He loitered long enough to see breakfast delivered to the knight indicating that he must still be in his room. Furthermore as there was only a little over an hour until the first bout of the day he would not have time for a clandestine meeting with Morgana.

All morning Merlin catered to Arthur's needs, straightening his armour, checking his equipment, looking after his horses, monitoring the competition and keeping his ego in check with some well placed observations. Amongst it all, he kept watch over Agravaine as best he could. The older knight only moved from the royal box once - for luncheon- so it actually wasn't very difficult.

Percival was no longer competing in the tourney due to his defeats the day before, however he was present today as a spectator and to support his friends. Sometime during the afternoon, he stopped by where Merlin was working outside Arthur's tent, the king's lances and a few pieces of armour laid out before him on a covered tabletop.

"He's given them a thorough work out," Percival commented picking up a few shards of battered lance tip.

Merlin humphed in reply, "I don't know why he doesn't just get new ones. Honestly, I think he makes me repair these things just to be annoying!"

Percival did not dare criticise his King out loud but gave a gentle laugh instead.

"You seem a bit happier today anyway." Merlin commented, glancing sideways at the knight.

"Well at least I feel like I'm doing something now."

"How's that going then? Anything to report?" Merlin kept his eyes on the lance tip he was working on but listened closely.

"Well, no more visits to Agravaine but he did go and see Gwen in her house this morning. It was only for a little while. Could that be significant?" Percival asked.

"Possibly. I'm not too sure how though."

"Have you and Gaius made any progress into what's going on?"

Merlin looked around carefully before speaking any further, but they were pretty much alone.

The warlock wanted to be truthful and tell the knight all that they'd found out but there was no way to do that without revealing his secret. A shiver of self disgust passed through him and he was forced, once again, to lie to one of his friends.

"It has to be sorcery. Gaius is still working on the details." He tried to console himself with the knowledge that the deceit was for Percival's protection too. The more he knew, the greater danger he would be in.

"Sorcery? So you think Agravaine's involved in sorcery?" The knight asked in shock.

Not having grown up in Camelot, Percival did not harbour an innate hatred of magic as he had seen firsthand that it could be used for benevolent purposes. However it was clear in this instance that the intention was otherwise.

Merlin nodded. "We need proof if we're to bring it to Arthur's attention though. He'll never believe anything against that man if we don't have something tangible to show him."

Percival nodded in agreement. "I won't let Lancelot be disgraced Merlin. He should be remembered with honour."

Merlin gave the knight a small smile appreciating his loyalty. He understood how Percival felt and even though he'd tried to convince himself that Lancelot had knowingly made the choice to sacrifice himself at the Isle of the Blessed, he would never stop feeling as if he should have done something to stop him.

* * *

It was almost midnight and Merlin was all but dozing off as he sat in the hidden alcove behind a large tapestry near Agravaine's chambers again. It was only a narrow space and required that he contort himself most uncomfortably if he wasn't to give himself away. The ache in his right foot, which was currently bent at a rather awkward angle, prevented him from falling asleep fully and he was very thankful for this as his quarry finally made his move.

Merlin didn't hear a thing as Agravaine Du Bois emerged silently from his rooms and started down the corridor toward where the warlock was concealed. It was only when the black haired knight passed a small window that let in a thin beam of moonlight that he was convinced his eyes weren't playing tricks on him. Up till then it had been more like watching moving shadows.

Merlin's heartbeat thumped in his ears and he had to force himself to count to ten before he set off after his target. If he was spotted now, it would be a disaster. Suddenly on full alert again he moved with all the stealth he could summon. It required all his athleticism and fast thinking to keep up due to the unpredictable, circuitous route the older man was taking (presumably so he would remain in the least used parts of the castle). At one point Agravaine halted suddenly and drew back into the deep, black shadows, sending his pursuer into a momentary panic that he'd been spotted. A guard appearing around the next corner was the cause of Agravaine's caution however and Merlin let out a huge, silent breath in relief.

Once they were outdoors, the going was relatively easier as there was a lot more cover and the moon provided a soft but silvery light. It was soon clear that Agravaine was headed for the stables and sure enough, as he whistled two high pitched notes, a stable boy emerged with his fully saddled mare ready to go. Merlin cursed under his breath. It would take time for him to ready his own mount and the older knight could be long gone by then.

He retrieved his own mare from its stable as quietly as he could, and checked carefully that the stable boy had left before he used his magic to put on the stable and bridle.

In record time he was on his way, clattering along the cobblestones toward the main gates of Camelot.

He shouted to the guards on the gates, "Which direction did that rider go in?"

"What's going on?" said guard replied.

"I'm on the King's business. Which way?" Merlin did his best to sound authoritative, and he wasn't sure if it was his voice or because they recognised him as Arthur's personal manservant, that they finally replied.

"He took the northern trail." The second guard answered, only slightly perplexed. He'd been a guard for some years now and he'd seen some pretty weird things in his time.

Merlin galloped up the road the guards had indicated, praying that he hadn't fallen too far behind. He strained his ears for the sound of telltale hoof beats ahead. It wasn't likely that anyone else would be out at this time of night so if he happened to see or hear any sign of a rider he could be reasonably sure it was Agravaine.

After five minutes of galloping, Merlin brought Matilda to a halt so he could scan the forest around them for any sign of another rider. When he heard and saw nothing he knew he'd need to use magic again.

"_Leòthfæt swlcend gang_!" Merlin whispered reverently, eyes igniting in flash of golden light. Slowly but surely, a faint blue trail appeared on the pathway ahead, winding off into the distance.

"We're back in business girl," he whispered to the horse before setting off after his prey with a relieved smile.

* * *

The sight of Agravaine's mount tethered to a tree ahead, forced Merlin to a halt. He left Matilda where he wouldn't be spotted and crept forwards carefully to the top of a shallow indentation. The area he peered into was like a small amphitheatre. It was free of trees, but still carpeted in a thick layer of leaves and a couple of very large rocks sat at one end. What Merlin saw taking place within the natural formation took his breath away.

Agravaine was on his knees and a woman dressed all in black with long messy tresses of hair trailing down her back, stood behind him, her dagger pointed at the helpless man's throat as she hissed something into his ear. Merlin was too far away to make out the actual words but he could see the ugly smirk on her face and knew from the way she suddenly pushed the man away roughly, that it wasn't a pleasantry.

Morgana. It was unmistakably, absolutely Morgana. If Agravaine was involved with her, there could be no doubt that he was up to no good.

Sir Agravaine got up quickly, trying to rekindle his dignity as he brushed himself off, his eyes never leaving the Lady in front of him.

Quickly and silently, Merlin recounted a spell to magnify his hearing. He needed to hear what was being said if he was to have any chance of stopping it.

Morgana strutted around the small clearing like a prize cock before a fight, receiving information from and delivering orders to her subservient. It was strange to see Agravaine in this role, he was so self assured and authoritative at Camelot. Merlin wondered what it was that kept him tied to the witch and as he watched further he got his answer. Although they may have joined forces originally for other reasons, it was clear from Agravaine's fawning behaviour and the way his face softened as he looked at her that he was kept enthralled to the will of the witch by his heart; what started out as a shared need for vengeance had turned into a duty of love for the older knight.

"What the hell are you doing here tonight anyway?" The lady glared at Agravaine, lips thin with impatience and anger.

"My Lady. I know I wasn't supposed to come and report tonight but I fear somebody suspects us." The older knight answered, bowing his head debasingly.

"And you can't deal with it yourself? Must you come running to me every time there's a hint of trouble?"

"I apologise Morgana, but I felt you needed to know who I suspect, just in case I have to ... act further." Agravaine continued, trying to wheedle his way back into her favour. Oh how it hurt him to be looked at with such contempt by the person who held his heart in her hands.

"Well? Who is it and why should I care so much?" Morgana looked at her informer with an ice cold glare.

"It's a member of Arthur's closest circle of knights My Lady - Sir Percival." He watched her anxiously for some sign of approval.

"The big muscular one? And what has he done to make you think he knows something is amiss?" The witch turned her back on Agravaine and paced to the other end of the clearing as she spoke.

"Well, My Lady, Lancelot is convinced he's being watched. I too, have noticed his eyes upon myself more often than is normal." As she turned again to answer him, Agravaine finally saw some softening of the hard lines of Morgana's face. Her beauty even more striking as she did so.

"Shades are often afflicted by unfounded paranoia. It's a side effect of the process the Dochraid warned me about." She strutted back toward him, trying to ignore the pathetic look of adoration on his face. "Do nothing for the moment Agravaine but keep an eye on this Percival character."

"Yes Lady Morgana, as you wish."

"Now return to Camelot before you are noticed."

**A/N: Series 3 saw Merlin do a lot more sneaking around at night and I have often wondered why nobody ever followed creepy old Agravaine on one of his nightly rides in Series 4.  
Was I the only one who thought Agravaine appeared to be distraught when he picked up Morgana up after Dragoon attacked her in "A Servant of Two Masters?" I think he was upset enough for us to conclude that he feels very strongly about her. ( A fact that Morgana plays upon to control him.)**  
**Merlin may actually already be aware of the location of Morgana's hovel after being held captive there in "A Servant of Two Masters", but i think it's a little up to how one chose's to interpret things.  
Lastly, I was wondering what you, the reader, thinks of these chapter lengths. Many fics seem to have much shorter chapters and I am worrid mine are too long to sustain interest. Any opinions welcomed.**


	3. Chapter 3

Merlin returned from his night-time escapade weighed down by a confusing mixture of fear, dread, bitterness and above all, sadness.

The depth of Morgana's need for vengeance was as great as her father's had been after the death of Ygraine. So desperate was she in her desire to sit upon the throne of Camelot that all her rationality and humanity had been lost. Merlin despaired of what the feisty, brave, honourable lady he once knew had degenerated into.

Long ago, Merlin had felt some of the responsibility for Morgana's fall into darkness but after hours of counsel with Gaius he'd come to accept that she'd made her choices, just as he had. Uther and Morgause may have pushed Morgana toward where she was now, but when it came down to it; Morgana herself was the only person who could've made things turn out differently. Cornelius Sigan had tried to tempt Merlin with the lure of power and authority many years hence but his heart had been pure and good enough to stay on the path he knew was right. Morgana however, did not have his resolve or commitment and had ended up a victim of her own deranged hatred.

There were still four or five hours until dawn but he couldn't sleep, despite the weariness in his bones and hideous squeezing pain in his overtaxed mind.

The young warlock must have dropped off eventually though because the next thing he knew Gaius was shaking his arm gently and the weak light of early morning filled the chambers with a golden glow. He fought back the too heavy feeling in his head and rubbed at his grainy eyes.

As the memories of last night's eavesdropping suddenly came back to him, Merlin shot out of bed.

"Percival! They suspect him Gaius. I have to go and warn him!"

"What? Wait a minute Merlin. You haven't had any breakfast yet." Gaius was left standing open mouthed as Merlin rushed around the room, pulling on his boots, grabbing his discarded jacket and neckerchief and heading for the door.

"Merlin! What's going on!" The physician cried out.

Merlin clenched his jaw then took a few steps back into the room. "Last night I followed Agravaine when he went for a midnight ride." Gaius eyebrow shot up. He had not even heard his ward leave their chambers. "You can guess who he met up with".

"The Lady Morgana." Gaius sighed knowingly.

"I have to warn Percival," Merlin's pale face reflected his anxiety clearly. "They suspect he's onto them Gaius! If they hurt him, it'll be all my fault." It had only been about month ago that Gaius had been kidnapped and tortured in an effort to find out Emrys' identity and the memory of his dear mentor lying frail and weak after his ordeal was still fresh in Merlin's mind. "You could've died because of me Gaius and now Percival... I should never have got him involved!"

Merlin was getting more and more agitated as he spoke, his face contorting with anguish and his eyes flicking from one place to another. Gaius grasped him by the upper arms in an effort to get his attention.

"Alright Merlin, calm down." Gaius forced his ward to focus on him as he spoke. "If I remember rightly, Percival involved himself."

It always seemed to be the burden of guilt that hurt his ward the most, and he could see it in the sensitive boy's normally clear, blue eyes right now, where it lurked like a dark weight, pulling him down relentlessly.

"He's a trained knight Merlin." Gaius continued in his calmest voice. "He can protect himself quite effectively against non-magical threats. Go to him now Merlin and warn him, but be careful not to say anything you might regret."

Merlin managed to compose himself a little and nodded at his mentor's wise words. Gaius was right, there was no reason to suspect magic would be used to threaten Percival at this stage and if he was on the alert for anything, the strongest of Arthur's knights was certainly capable of defending himself.

"I'm sorry Gaius. It's just... It's hard enough watching out for Arthur." Gaius had released his hold upon Merlin's upper arms and he ran a hand across his eyes in frustration, wiping away a few tears as he did so. "I just wish we knew what she was up to!"

* * *

Elyan called out to his sister as he pushed open the door to her house. He'd lived there for so many years himself that it didn't seem right to knock somehow.

"Come in!" Gwen greeted warmly while setting platters on the table. They'd decided to get together for breakfast in their childhood home for the last time before Gwen was married tomorrow afternoon. As Elyan entered he was surprised by the rush of memories and emotions that flooded through him as he looked around his childhood home. How proud his mother and father would be to see their children now; him a knight and Gwen about to wed the greatest warrior in the kingdom.

He smiled widely at his sister before placing a kiss upon her forehead.

"This looks great." He commented, gesturing to the food spread out before him on the rude wooden table he'd been familiar with since he was five years old.

Gwen gave him a nervous smile in return. "Well, you can thank Arthur really. He has food delivered from the Palace Kitchens daily."

"I'm glad he's looking after you."

The two sat in silence for a while; Elyan sampling the fruits, sweet breads, cheeses and meat dishes eagerly. He could not help but notice that his sister did little more than push the food around her plate.

"Is everything alright Gwen? You're not eating much." He asked carefully. Gwen was staring off into the middle distance and her brow was furrowed in thought.

"What? Oh, it's just a few wedding jitters I suppose." She shrugged.

"If you have any doubts Gwen..." Elyan started, studying his sister closely. He hadn't much experience with this sort of thing but surely if you were about to be joined in marriage to the love of your life, you'd be happier than his sister appeared to be?

"No Elyan, it's nothing." Gwen answered, standing up and turning away from her older brother. Elyan has stopped eating by now and was becoming more concerned. Gwen had resumed her preoccupied staring and was twirling something around her left wrist.

"You're beginning to worry me Gwen. If you're not sure about this you need to speak to Arthur. Or I can if you prefer?" Since he'd come back into Gwen's life he'd tried to make up for all the years he was away. The idea of her fending for herself after their father was killed three years ago still preyed upon his conscience and he felt a fierce wave of protectiveness sweep over him at the thought of Gwen doing something she wasn't ready for.

Guinevere turned back to the table, her usual joyful expression back again. "What are you talking about Elyan?" she chided him gently, her eyes full of warmth and contentment. "I love Arthur with all my heart and I very much wish to be his wife. Now, let us sit down and enjoy the meal together."

Elyan returned her smile, relieved to see Gwen back to normal. As he tucked into a tomato and herb sausage he continued to watch her appraisingly. A few nerves were only natural considering what she was about to undertake. If she had chosen to marry someone of the servant or peasant class the effect on her life would be vast enough but the knowledge that she was about to marry the King of Camelot and then become Queen of one of the most powerful kingdoms in the known world, would scare even the bravest of maidens. He didn't think he possessed a strong enough spirit or had enough self belief to part-take in the governance of the people and he was struck anew with the big hearted bravery and uniqueness of his little sister.

* * *

By the time the tourney started later in the morning, Merlin felt much better. Percival had listened carefully to what he'd told him and had agreed to keep alert for anything threatening. He wanted to ask the knight to stay close to him so that he could help protect him but couldn't for two reasons. First of all, it made no sense that a skinny servant like him could actually be of any assistance if he was attacked and secondly, if Arthur ended up facing Lancelot in the tourney, he may be forced to use his magic, which he preferred to do without the close presence of possible witnesses.

The morning proceeded smoothly enough. An even larger crowd than yesterday had turned up and they made so much noise as the knights galloped toward each other that Merlin could almost feel the ground shake beneath his feet.

The fifth joust of the day saw Sir Gwaine take on Sir Tolmy, one of Lord Godwyn's most renowned knights. The crowd waved flags in Camelot's colours and shouted out words of encouragement as their man was introduced to the crowd.

At each end of the lists, the knights pulled their helmets down and braced their lances ready for the charge. Merlin held his breath as his friend spurred his horse onward. In a matter of seconds it was all over; there was a sickening noise as Tolmy's lance impacted with the armour plate covering Gwaine's left shoulder causing it to splinter into fragments. The force of the blow propelled Gwaine backwards off his mount and he slammed into the hard ground. For a few minutes he didn't move and Merlin had to stop himself from running to his aide, but slowly the pile of armour and chain mail stirred and as a squire rushed to help, Gwaine slowly dragged himself to his feet. The crowd had been almost silent up till now but as the roguish knight lifted his face covering and gave a thumbs up, relieved applause broke out which escalated into cheers and shouts of bravo as the defeated knight waved and walked from the arena.

Sir Leon had won his way into the Semi Final with a single clean hit upon a Knight Errand named Sir Kay; his low key, efficient approach carrying through to the fighting arena. Arthur had been impressed enough by the travelling knight's attitude and skills in the tourney so far that he was thinking of approaching him about trying out for a position at Camelot.

Arthur fought with all his usual assurance and competency but somehow seemed possessed with an extra lightness of being as though the power of his love for Guinevere was suffusing everything he did. Merlin was torn as he watched his king smile and laugh with his competitors. He wanted so much for his friend to be happy and content but somehow the evil spectre of Morgana continued to cast its black shadow across them all.

In the morning's final tilt, Arthur dispatched another of Godwyn's knights, Sir Wilfred, in a thoroughly superior display. His blow had been so forceful and well aimed that the poor defeated knight was sent flying from his saddle. Unfortunately though, one of his feet remained trapped in a stirrup and he was dragged along the ground, bumping and jolting painfully until somebody managed to restrain the frightened horse. Percival and Merlin winced in empathy as they watched on.

A brief reprieve for lunch gave the remaining competitors a chance to recuperate and relax. For their squires / servants however, there was no such luxury; they used the extra time to thoroughly examine their knight's armour and to make any adjustments deemed necessary. It also gave them time to brush down, feed and water the horses. It was whilst Merlin was re-saddling Hengroen that he saw Gaius emerge from the tent of Sir Wilfred, where he had been attending to him since his very unpleasant exit from the tourney.

Gaius made his way over to Merlin with his medical kit over his shoulder. His face was sombre and Merlin feared the worst.

"How is Sir Wilfred? That was a nasty fall."

"Bruised and shaken but he'll be fine. I imagine his dignity will take longer to recover than his injuries." Gaius replied straight faced.

"So why the long face?"

Gaius pursed his lips in agitation, taking time to compose his answer.

"I believe I've just witnessed something nobody was meant to see; the Lady Guinevere coming out of Lancelot's tent." Gaius sounded slightly confused as he told Merlin of her furtive glances as she emerged and the fact that she hadn't been using the main entry but lifted a back flap to ensure she was not in full view.

Merlin pulled a face, "That's weird? You're not thinking she was doing anything...inappropriate are you, because Gwen wouldn't. That's not like her at all."

Gaius exhaled deeply. "Perhaps she just didn't want to give people reason to gossip?"

Merlin nodded, smiling weakly. He knew she no longer had feelings for Lancelot so that must've been it.

* * *

After luncheon, Sir Lancelot took on Sir Tolmy in the first Semi Final. Lancelot was riding his pure white stallion and as they trotted to the starting line, Merlin was struck by the ethereal quality of his silver armour shining in the sun paired with the dazzling white mane and coat of his mount. They almost seem to float across the arena as opposed to the bulky, cumbersomeness of the other knights who clattered and thudded noisily whenever they moved.

The one sided nature of the contest at least meant Tolmy's defeat was quick.

The second semi final saw Arthur take on Sir Leon. Merlin recalled an occasion many years hence when the same two men had faced off in a training run. As the two galloped toward each other a flash of reflected sunlight from Leon's armour had momentarily blinded Arthur and Leon had chosen to pull out rather than make the hit upon his blinded opponent, who just so happened to be the Crown Prince of Camelot. Arthur had been infuriated no end by what he perceived as favoured treatment and ordered his men to treat him just like they would anybody else on the training field or tourney arena.

If his determined, forward angled position in the saddle was anything to go by, Sir Leon was sticking to those orders delivered long ago. King and second in command galloped toward each other, dust rising in their wake. Leon's lance hit its target but only dealt a glancing blow before, milliseconds later, Arthur's lance slammed brutally into Leon's breast plate causing him to almost fall off his horse. As he scrambled to stay mounted, the knight dropped his lance which immediately declared him the loser.

Merlin felt the tension in his shoulders escalate as the final was announced; King Arthur v Sir Lancelot Du Lac.

Gaius came to stand beside his young ward as the two lined up for the deciding bout. It had been his intention to remind Merlin of the imminent danger Arthur was in and that he should be ready to intervene, using magic if necessary. However he took one look at the young man's anxiously pinched face, stiff posture and tightly clenched hands hanging by his sides and realised that Merlin was well aware of the enormity of the situation. Instead, he gave his ward a gentle pat on the back and tight smile followed by a minuscule nod of the head to convey he trusted in Merlin's abilities completely.

It was the final all the people wanted. Their heroic leader versus the brave knight who had offered himself up to save them all.

Merlin jiggled his right leg nervously, eyes peeled and magic sensors on full alert for anything untoward. If it came to it, he was willing to use magic in front of the entire court if it meant Arthur would be safe.

The two adversaries galloped toward each other, Lancelot's white stallion almost glowing in the bright sunlight. The sound of hoof beats and the cheers of the crowd resonated loudly in the viewing stadium, growing in intensity till the knights clashed. Lancelot's lance shattered as it crashed into Arthur, the stricken King reeling backward in his saddle with the momentum of the impact. Merlin did not register the gasps of shock from the crowd or see the way Gwen leapt to her feet, her face stricken with worry; his whole attention was focused on his king who was now slumped forward and clearly in considerable pain.

Merlin looked on aghast as Arthur continued to struggle, bracing himself for the worst as Hengroen carried his injured master back toward the end of the arena. A squire ran out to grab the reins while Merlin readied himself to catch Arthur if he fell. He should have known it was not the Pendragon way to let a little injury stand in his way though and instead of admitting he was hurt the stubborn prat pushed up his face guard yelling at Merlin to fetch him a new lance.

Merlin grimaced at the sheer ridiculousness of Arthur's pride; this was supposed to be a tourney of celebration for goodness sake! He had seen Arthur carry on through pain and injury before, even when it turned out to be to his detriment but he resigned himself to the fact that nothing he did or said would change the King's mind now.

"Are you sure this is wise Arthur?" He shouted out as he handed over the lance.

"Just give me the lance!" Arthur growled back, face contorted with pain.

Gaius moved forward to be level with his ward as the proud King returned to the starting line for the next tilt.

Arthur could not even sit up straight; much less hold the lance horizontally. Merlin cursed his friend's pride and pig headedness silently as the two combatants took off toward each other.

"This is not good Merlin. He's wide open for a direct hit!" Gaius spoke aloud Merlin's exact thoughts.

As Arthur's lance continued to wobble feebly, Merlin started to reach for his magic, fear for Arthur's life burning through his veins. No sooner had he summoned the first prickling tendrils of his magic though, that Lancelot sat up straight lifting his weapon to a vertical position and shaking his head once in a clear sign that he wasn't willing to go through with the bout.

"What's he doing?" Gaius' confused voice sounded in Merlin's ear.

"He's pulling out!" Merlin was both relieved and perturbed. Shade Lancelot had just declined the perfect opportunity to kill Arthur. If it hadn't been Morgana's plan to deal with her half brother during the cover of the tourney, what exactly was she planning?

**A/N; Well, i guess we already know really don't we.**  
**I hope the extra scenes I have added aren't too obvious or predictable. Honestly, what sort of brother is Elyan if he did not notice Gwen's peculiar behavior?  
I found the tournament scenes quite awkward to write - I hope I managed to recreate the noise, colour and violent nature of it all.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thank you for all the people who have read and especially those who have reviewed and favorited. It somehow makes it all seem more worthwhile.  
This chapter is still close to the original but a few more threads have been added.**

**Enjoy.**

Arthur and Lancelot had been declared equal victors of the joust and much to the delight of Camelot's citizens they came before Guinevere side by side to receive their tokens of victory. The ladies swooned and the men cheered boisterously whilst young children re-enacted the deeds of their heroes on the greens behind the viewing stands.

Afterwards, a bruised but much recovered Arthur made his way up to his quarters to prepare for another dinner with his guests. He had been severely winded by Lancelot's blow but thankfully had sustained no serious injury and only a nasty bruising remained. He would remain apart from his future wife this night and indeed until the ceremony tomorrow; old wives tales proclaiming that this ensured the union would be blessed by many healthy and happy offspring.

While the guests started feasting in the main hall, Merlin, Gaius and Percival were clustered around the sturdy old wooden table in Gaius' main room, trying to make sense out of what had happened in the past few days.

They'd been all but sure that the imposter Lancelot would make some sort of move on the King during the jousts but to their consternation and frustration, the behaviour of the Shade in the final had been every bit as chivalrous as the real Lancelot's would have been.

Merlin was deep in thought, his face stern and serious as he listened to his mentor verbalising their conclusions to date.

"We had assumed that Morgana meant for Lancelot to make some sort of direct attack upon Arthur, using the tourney as cover for an unfortunate injury." Gaius began, "However that is clearly not the case."

"Then what is she doing?" Merlin stood up angrily, pacing the room in agitation. "She's got to be up to something?"

The three sat in silence for a few minutes, only the hissing and bubbling of Gaius' latest potion's over the fire, breaking the quiet.

"Percival," Gaius started, "You saw Lancelot go to Gwen's cottage the other morning." Percival nodded in reply. The physician's voice sounded more and more confidant as he continued, "And then I saw Gwen sneaking out of his tent today."

"So how does that help us?" Merlin interjected.

"Well, what if it wasn't a physical attack upon his body but a blow to his heart? If Morgana drives Gwen back into Lancelot's arms, Arthur would be as surely wounded as by the strike of sword or lance or dagger."

Percival watched as the old man and Merlin held each other's gazes, their minds seeming to work together almost like telepathy.

Merlin shook his head, "Oh no Gaius, it would be much worse. He'd be destroyed."

"And a kingdom with a weakened ruler is a prime target for a takeover." The physician concluded solemnly as all the pieces finally fell into place.

"Oh that's low." Merlin slumped back onto his seat again, eyes dark with realisation. He could only imagine how the hurt of such an act of betrayal would affect Arthur. He knew how hard it had been for Arthur to open himself up to Guinevere's love and if he believed she hadn't been truthful with him, that she had gone back to Lancelot just days before their wedding, there was no knowing how he'd react. The pain of Morgana's duplicity and her violent acts of treachery continued to wound Arthur deeply and Merlin feared the King would be a broken man if he perceived that the love of his life had treated him in with similar dishonesty.

"But Lancelot wouldn't come between them, even if he did still have feelings for Gwen." Percival commented, trying to catch up and feeling very dim witted in comparison to the two people before him.

"No, the real Lancelot wouldn't Percival." Merlin explained. "The version of Lancelot she sent back though, he's little more than a puppet controlled by an evil puppeteer. She can make him do as she wishes."

"But we know how much Gwen loves Arthur. She's devoted to him completely." Gaius added. "Lancelot's seeming return from the dead would not be enough to change her feelings."

"Then there must be some sort of enchantment involved too." Merlin suggested, thinking back to when Uther was dying and the nature of Morgana's malevolent interference on that occasion. "She's done a similar thing before." He muttered darkly.

Percival was trying to keep up with the conversation but was finding it difficult. He could not recall any occasion when Morgana had used as enchantment upon somebody. Not that the knights were realy up on all that sort of thing. Still, if anybody would know, Gaius would.

"So, what do we do now? Surely we'll have to tell Arthur?" Percival asked, trying to get back to the issue at hand.

"Mmmmmm. Maybe." Merlin suddenly returned his gaze to Percival. "Perce, don't let Lancelot out of your sight. If we've guessed correctly, something's going to happen tonight." The wedding was scheduled for tomorrow, which left very little time for whatever Morgana had planned to go ahead.

"And where are you going?" Gaius shouted to Merlin's back as the young man started to head toward the door.

"I have to warn Arthur!"

"Merlin, just stop a moment. I don't think that's wise." Gaius pursed his lips, pinning Merlin to the spot with his fierce gaze. "We have no proof to offer him. How are you going to explain things without giving away too much?" He added, eyes glancing toward Percival who was still in the room.

"I don't know, but I have to try."

* * *

"Ah, there you are Merlin." Arthur commented as his servant entered his chambers without knocking. "Since you're too late to help me prepare for tonight's feast you can stay here and clean the armour I wore during today's victory instead of attending me tonight. Then I need you to check my ceremonial robes again before tomorrow. I know you did that yesterday but just humour me and do it again will you." Expecting to hear his servants whine of complaint, he was taken a little off guard by the sombreness in Merlin's tone as he replied.

"Arthur, I need to speak to you about something. You won't like it, but you need to listen to me." Merlin deep blue eyes bored into Arthur's and his face had none of its usual joviality.

"That sounds serious Merlin," Arthur answered, slightly worried by his servants tone and demeanour but too high on tomorrow's glorious events to feel greatly alarmed.

"Has it occurred to you that Lancelot coming back from the dead is impossible?" The servant spoke quietly, almost hesitantly.

"Well, since he's with us now, I'd guess that it isn't." Arthur replied somewhat tartly, gathering his sword belt up from the table.

"But don't you think its odd Arthur? I mean, I can't explain it and..."

"Merlin, I don't have time for your foolish theories right now. In case you've forgotten, I'm to be married tomorrow and in the meantime I have a dinner to attend."

"Yes, I know Arthur. I just think you need to be careful!"

Arthur had stopped what he was doing and turned to meet Merlin's gaze. "I don't know what's brought this on Merlin but unless you've got some evidence for your _stories_ , however inventive they may be..." Arthur arched his eyebrows waiting for Merlin to produce something.

"Well, no. But."

Arthur took a deep breath, pushing any anger he felt firmly down. "If anyone else came in here accusing one of my best knights of...whatever you are accusing him of, I'd be annoyed. But since it's you and I know how ridiculously overprotective you can be, I'll forget it."

"Arthur please."

"No that's enough Merlin." The King gave Merlin his most withering look. "Now do as I say and get cleaning!"

* * *

Arthur's dismissal had not been unexpected but it still hurt. After over six years of loyal service he'd hoped he meant enough to the King that his fears and suspicions would be taken seriously, but no, he'd been made to feel like an unimportant idiot; told to be quiet like he had no right to an opinion. He cursed his destiny under his breath, willing back tears of frustration as he set off to find Agravaine. Once again he was trapped in his own web of secrecy. There was no way he could tell Arthur how he knew what Lancelot was, any more than he could tell him how he knew Agravaine schemed with Morgana to bring about his downfall.

There could be little doubt that Arthur had come a long way since Merlin first met him, but the notion of his personal manservant having magic would still not be received well. And while Agravaine still had such an influence over Arthur, banishment would be the best he could hope for, execution the most likely.

Merlin swallowed back his anger and steeled himself to do what he always did; fight for Arthur with everything he had and if this meant he had to go on lying and deceiving for a little longer, then so be it.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the lower town a knock at the door brought Gwen out of her stupor. She'd been sitting by the empty fireplace dreaming, while the fingers of her right hand played with the bracelet that Lancelot had gifted her with a couple of mornings ago. It was not at all like her to waste time so unproductively and she chastised herself silently as she moved to answer the door.

A boy handed her a folded letter, then ran off.

"_My Lady Guinevere,_

_If you still hold any place in your heart for me, I will be waiting for you in the Council Chambers at midnight._

_Lancelot._"

Gwen's eyes glazed over as she touched the paper and soaked up the message within. A fleeting notion of wrongness sparked futiley in the back of her consciousness before the all encompassing urge to be with Lancelot burned everything else out and took over her entire being.

* * *

Percival attended the feast as was expected of a man in his position. Together with many of the Knights of Camelot he sat on one of the long tables that stretched from the front to the back of the room. The general mood in the hall was of happiness and celebration but Percival felt completely removed from it all. Not wishing to dampen the atmosphere amongst his friends he did his best to join in conversations and even managed to stuff some down some food but his anxiety remained.

Lancelot sat at the front table on the right side of the King, as was his due after being equal winner of the tournament while Sir Agravaine sat to Arthur's left. Percival found his gaze going repeatedly to his old friend (or whatever that was that looked like him) and to the King's Uncle. Merlin was not in his usual position behind Arthur's left elbow and this caused him further worry.

As the servants brought in the second course Gaius made his way through the laughing crowd toward the knights table.

"Gaius, take a seat, have some ale." Gwaine welcomed the old man heartily.

"Thank you Sir Gwaine but I just need a quick word with Sir Elyan actually," the physician grimaced.

"Oh, he's over there," Gwaine gestured toward the front where Elyan was talking with one of Lord Godwyn's knights.

Gaius inclined his head slightly and carried on towards his goal.

"Sir Elyan."

"Gaius."

"How's your sister? I haven't talked to her for days. Bubbling with excitement I expect?"

"Yeah." Elyan forced a smile, beckoning the physician to follow him to a quieter corner of the hall so they could talk more easily. "Actually Gaius, I think she's a bit nervous."

Gaius nodded sagely, "Well that's to be expected I suppose."

Elyan crossed his arms, the worries he felt for his sister held firmly within. Gaius lifted an eyebrow and looked him up and down and that's all it took to break through the defences of this highly trained defender of the realm.

Elyan's arms fell to his sides as he exhaled. "More than nervous really. I saw her this morning and she was so ... distracted. I expected her to go on and on about Arthur and the wedding but she didn't even mention it unless I brought it up."

"I see."

"I hope they haven't had a fight."

"No I don't believe that's the case Elyan. But there may be some reason for concern. Perhaps you could accompany me back to my chambers. There are matters I'd like to talk to you about."

* * *

Percival was careful to look Lancelot's way every few minutes but the bonhomie of his comrades did not make things easy as the night wore on. He had a clear view of Elyan as he left with Gaius some time during the second course though and the sight of Merlin joining them in conversation that he managed to glimpse though the closing doors, gave him a good idea of what was being discussed. Quite how Elyan would react to the idea that his sister may be under some sort of enchantment Percival could not be sure but if it was him, he knew he'd do anything possible to protect his one remaining family member, including defying the laws of Camelot.

* * *

Once out of the Great Hall's noisy atmosphere, Gaius explained further to Elyan what he and Merlin suspected was going on.

"Necromancy?" Elyan stammered in outrage. "You mean that knight in there sitting beside the King is not the real Lancelot?"

"No, I'm afraid not." Merlin answered sombrely. Elyan had only been acquainted with Lancelot for a few months but even in that short time his integrity and virtue had been evident. If he had not witnessed his sister's odd behaviour for himself he would dismiss everything he was hearing as nothing more than a fanciful tale. Together with the bits and pieces he'd heard about Gwen's previous emotional attachment to the knight and his previous experiences with Morgana though, it all made a certain sort of twisted sense.

"As you can appreciate, discretion is of the utmost importance until we have some proof we can present the King." Gaius continued, trying to gauge the young knight's reaction.

"So, what should I do? I can't let Gwen's reputation be destroyed by this act of evil?"

"I suggest you keep a close eye upon her Sir Elyan. There is no need intervene unless she goes near Lancelot."

Elyan swallowed down the bitter taste at the back of his tongue. "I'll go to her now then." The knight stammered before setting off toward the lower town. After a few steps he turned back. "I... well ... thank you for caring. Gwen is the most important thing in the world to me and I'm grateful that she has friends that care enough about her to try and protect her. You have my everlasting debt of gratitude."

**A/N; Any thoughts? Is it taking too long to develop? Should Merlin have told Arthur he thought Gwen was being enchanted (despite the lack of evidence)? Is the thing Agravaine has for Morgana too creepy!?**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I have decided to write Lancelot's name in italics because the creature in the story is a long way from the real Lancelot. I hope that is not confusing.  
I was not sure what he walkway with the beautiful stained glass where Agravaine and **_**Lancelot **_**have their clandestine meeting is called. The closest thing I could find – going by an image search of Pierrefonds – was the Guardroom. Does anybody know more?  
Thank you to jayley for pointing out an error I made in the last chapter regarding how much Percival knew about Uther's death!  
**

With the feasting wound up for the night, Agravaine hurried off toward his chambers with a feeling of excitement. He was too busy gloating about his future reward and all the ways Morgana might thank him for his invaluable assistance, to notice a skinny, dark haired man servant following him in the deep shadows of the castle's passageways. Unlike the exhausted looking King, sleep was the farthest thing from his mind and after he'd bid his nephew good night, he doubled back toward the the Great Hall.

With their plot to bring Arthur to his knees beginning to take shape, Agravaine smirked to himself as he circled around the Guardroom and headed onto the mezzanine walkway where he'd carry out the next step. He lingered momentarily, checking that nobody else was around, before he crept stealthily toward the black clothed knight that awaited him, silent and poised to do whatever his mistress commanded.

Percival too had not been resting since the end of the feast. He was putting his tracking skills into practice again by following the Lancelot imposter. So it was that as Agravaine and _Shade Lancelot_ came together, they were observed from two different angles by two people and if the sly glances, lowered voices and the conspiratorial coming together of heads was not enough to alarm any observer, the matters being discussed surely were.

Just to be sure he missed no important part of the conversation, Merlin enhanced his hearing minutely. It was hardly necessary really, as the empty stone chamber reverberated the sounds of the men's voices eerily, making them clearly audible despite the hushed tones being use.

Lord Agravaine spoke to the being under his control, the smooth coated tones of his voice barely concealing his sinister intent. "You are doing very well. The Lady is very happy with you so far."

_Shade Lancelot_ inclined his head in reply. "I live to serve my mistress." The soulless voice sent a chilled down both Percival and Merlin's spines.

"It is the Lady Morgana's wish that you be in the Council Chamber at midnight." Agravaine delivered haughtily.

"If the Lady commands it, it is done," a glassy eyed _Lancelot_ replied without hesitation.

"The Lady Guinevere has been summoned and she will be there to meet you. I will personally make sure that Arthur is in attendance to witness the _touching_ reunion that takes place."

Percival barely had time to find cover before the creature that so closely and painfully resembled his friend, made his way toward him along the walkway.

A repulsive half smile formed itself on Lord Agravaine's face as he strode off, leaving a reek of evil behind him.

"You heard all that?" Merlin asked Percival as the two pursuers emerged from their concealment and came together.

Percival nodded lips thin with disgust. The irrefutable proof that Agravaine was working with Morgana sickened him. Although he'd known it for a few days, it had never felt quite real up until now. "What sort of a man would plot against his own nephew Merlin? We have to stop him."

"I intend to." Merlin huffed, face set in determination.

"It's going to tear Arthur apart when he finds out." Percival spoke just above a whisper, his voice tremulous.

Shaking himself into action again, Merlin looked toward the large knight standing beside him. "Elyan is with Gwen but maybe you should go and check he's got everything under control. If we can keep her away, Agravaine's plan will come to nothing."

"Okay." Percival nodded. "Where are you going?" He asked, directing his words at the young man's back as he started off toward his target.

"I've got to try and stop _Lancelot_!"

"You sure you don't want some help Merlin?" Percival yelled, wondering how the skinny youth planned to stop a fully trained knight. Surely that would be a harder task than keeping Gwen in her cottage; a task more suited to another knight? Receiving no answer, he concluded that Merlin had been too far away to hear him and set off into the lower town.

Actually, the sorcerer had heard Percival's question but in anticipation of having to use magic to stop shade _Lancelot's_ progress, it wouldn't do to have company.

A few minutes later in the Phoenix corridor, Merlin ran after _Lancelot_, desperate to stop the dire assignation from taking place.

"_**Hlep an bæc**_!" He yelled, casting the powerful spell toward the shade. The knights body flew through the air his arms flailing as he tried to right himself before he slammed into the hard stone floor. Merlin was breathing hard as he crept forward to examine his handiwork and he looked down upon the face of his old friend sadly, remembering everything that the real Lancelot had meant to him; trust, bravery, honesty...

Without warning the shades eyes suddenly flew open, revealing their black cavernous pupils. Merlin lurched back in shock as _Lancelot_ got to his feet, completely unharmed by the powerful spell. Merlin was confused momentarily but then cursed silently as he realised his mistake. Not being mortal, a shade would not be affected by his magic. Perhaps he should have brought Percival with him after all. He hurriedly began to back away but the reanimated knight was after him in a flash and a vicious blow to the head sent Merlin reeling and as he slumped into unconsciousness against the wall, he prayed his miscalculation would not be the undoing of Arthur.

* * *

Down in the Lower Town, Gwen was pacing urgently in her cottage. Elyan had turned up at her doorstep not long ago, just as she was about to leave for the Council Chambers. She gritted her teeth in frustration as her brother continued to talk, the words making an annoying buzzing in her head. The only thing she could concentrate on at the moment was her desire, her need, to go to Lancelot; every nerve cell tingling with anxiety as she was kept from her goal.

"Elyan, it's late and I'm tired. Surely we can continue this discussion tomorrow?" she tried, speaking sweetly and forcing a smile of assurance onto her face.

"No Gwen. You are in danger and I will not be going anywhere until I know you're safe."

"You're being ridiculous Elyan. Please."

The knight looked at his sister closely and he did not like what he saw. None of Gwen's usual warm kindness was present in her eyes and her body was tense, as though she was barely retraining something.

"Just sit down Gwen. I'll make us something calming to drink." Elyan put a comforting hand on Gwen's shoulder and gently pushed her onto a stool at the table. As he turned toward the fireplace to put some milk on to warm, a desperation she had no control over flared again in Guinevere, driving her to pick up the pewter vase in front of her and with a horrible crunch she smashed it into the back of her brother's head. Neither sibling would have a clear memory of what happened, Gwen because of her mind altering enchantment and Elyan because he lay out cold on the floor, a trickle of blood running from the gash in his head to pool in a crevice within the rough hewn floor.

* * *

Merlin came around slowly and painfully to the sight of flames flickering gently above him. As his eyes regained their focus he recognised them as torches, which were sitting in their brackets upon the castle walls. He sat up slowly, pulling his long legs underneath him as he rubbed his head and tried to re-order his thoughts. Suddenly the memory of how he came to be lying here, flooded through his mind and he took off as fast as he could toward the Council Chambers, hoping it wasn't too late.

Merlin slowed his frantic run down to a walk as he reached a side door of the Council Chambers. The moon shone its silvery light into the high ceilinged room before him, illuminating a sickening tableau of events.

Arthur stood slightly behind Agravaine, just inside the main doors. He was caught in a shaft of moonlight which made his face and blond hair look oddly pale and lifeless. His body was stiff as he followed the direction his uncle was pointing to. Merlin quickly took in the smirk of satisfaction etched upon Agravaine's face then turned his head to see what mesmerised Arthur so.

It was exactly what he'd dreaded.

_Lancelot_ and Guinevere were at the far end of the room wrapped in a passionate embrace, lips locked together in a private dance. For a few seconds everything was still, deadly still. Then it all burst violently back into life as a yell of pure agony rent the air; the sound of the young King's heart shattering into tiny pieces, and as tidal waves of emotion swept through his body, he reacted in the most instinctive way a man of his background would; raising his sword and running at his enemy.

Guinevere screamed in horror as Arthur attacked Lancelot relentlessly, raining down blow after blow as he tried to vanquish the pain of his betrayal. His mouth was pulled into an ugly sneer and his eyes burned with rage as he struck against his foe with all the strength he could summon. _Lancelot _blocked each frantic attack, sparks flying off into the dark room as their swords clashed violently.

Merlin watched from the sidelines helplessly. The violence of the battle was too great for physical intervention and he dared not use magic with Agravaine so close by.

The ferocity of Arthur's onslaught had driven _Lancelot_ backwards and realising he was running out of room, the shade upped his efforts. His black eyes glinted in the moonlight as he set about fighting back and he managed to steal back a few paces before Arthur launched at him again.

Merlin could hear Gwen crying and begging the two swordsmen to stop. Agravaine on the other hand, looked extremely pleased with proceedings and Merlin didn't think he'd ever seen the older man look more excited.

_Lancelot_ was forced backward again, Arthur pushing him toward a corner and as he raised his sword in the air for another downward swing Guinevere could watch no longer and bravery jumped in between the two men.

"Stop!" she yelled as loudly as she could, her eyes pleading with Arthur's. She'd never seen his gaze so cold or his face so twisted in pain and anger. "Please stop," she begged, her voice broken.

Arthur's sword remained raised while he stared into his beloved eyes. Pain, anger and a base need for revenge still surged through him. How could she do this to him? He believed she loved him but how could she betray him so if that was the case? Finally, he dropped his gaze and let his body go limp. She may have broken his heart but there was no way he could ever hurt her. With a rattle, his sword fell to the ground and as a couple of guards and Sir Leon and Gwaine entered the room he felt suddenly and completely exhausted.

Observing Arthur's weakened state, Agravaine seized the opportunity to take control. Everything had gone exactly as planned and it was hard for him to subdue the elation coursing through his veins as he approached his nephew and put a conciliatory hand upon his shoulder.

"I'm sorry to say Arthur but I suspected something was going on between these two. Now we have proof." Arthur remained where he was, his arms braced upon the back of a chair to stop him slumping any further. His gaze remained locked on Guinevere's and he appeared not to even notice his uncle was present.

Swinging back to where the guards stood in shocked silence, Agravaine ordered loudly, "Guards, take them to the dungeons and arrange for a double execution tomorrow at dawn!"

**A/N: Any thoughts on what will happen next. Is Arthur too stupefied by grief to care that his slimy Uncle is taking over?**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thank you to Nawibo-Ananuk for alerting me to a mistake in the last chapter. (Indeed, Arthur does not have possession of Excalibur yet - what a bad fangirl I am.)  
The scenes where Arthur sees Lancelot and Gwen kissing, then the dramatic aftermath were difficult as everything seemed to happen so quickly. I wanted to retain the spontaneity and dynamic such a shocking revelation would bring but at the same time develop it into something more fiction friendly.  
**

_Observing Arthur's weakened state, Agravaine seized the opportunity to take control. Everything had gone exactly as planned and it was hard for him to subdue the elation coursing through his veins as he approached his nephew and put a conciliatory hand upon his shoulder._

_"I'm sorry to say Arthur but I suspected something was going on between these two. Now we have proof." Arthur remained where he was, his arms braced upon the back of a chair to stop him slumping any further. His gaze remained locked on Guinevere and he appeared not to even notice his uncle was present._

_Swinging back to where the guards stood in shocked silence, Agravaine ordered loudly, "Guards, take them to the dungeons and arrange for a double execution tomorrow at dawn!"_

"No!" Arthur's voice pierced the air, attracting the eyes of everybody in the room.

The guards who had already surrounded Lancelot, taken his sword and begun to usher him towards the dungeon stopped in their tracks upon hearing the King's word. For his part, the shade knight stood passively, staring at the floor; all the energy and passion that had been so evident when he fought had vanished. Gwaine and Leon watched the proceedings with swords drawn, not comprehending fully what was going on yet but ready to defend their King at his slightest bidding.

Agravaine sneered at his nephew's interference of his proclamation. Success had been so close, he could almost smell it. Inhaling deeply, he decided to try a different approach; some 'gentle' manipulation rather than bullish. From previous situations he knew that making Arthur question his ability as a leader usually broke him down and rendered him more open to suggestions, so that was definitely worth a try.

"Arthur, I know it's hard but you must put your personal feelings aside. Execution is the appropriate punishment for the crime that has been committed here." Merlin watched on in disgust as the charlatan resumed his role of the caring uncle. "The people will wonder what sort of King you are if you let them get away with anything less."

Merlin saw something like indecision flash through Arthur's eyes and afraid his King would commit to something he would never recover from, he rushed forward.

"You can't do this Arthur! Gwen doesn't know what she's doing! I already told you _Lancelot_ isn't what he seems and now he and Gwen have been used against you!" Arthur looked at him with wide eyes, hope written across his face.

"Are you going to listen to this nonsense nephew? The woman has betrayed you!" Agravaine hissed in the King's ear.

"Arthur please listen to me." Merlin looked deep into Arthur's eyes, trying to appeal to his head as well as his heart. "Gwen is innocent! She'd never hurt you like this - surely you realise that? She's not the one you need to be careful of, it's him!"

The blood drained out of Agravaine's face. "You better watch your tongue servant. That's treason you're speaking. Guards, take the serving boy to the dungeons as well!" A couple of guards hastened toward Merlin and to his great shame he felt tears welling in his eyes.

Arthur's eyes had gone saucer shaped and his hands trembled where they clutched the chair. He did not know who to listen to; Agravaine who had guided him ever since his father fell ill or Merlin his loyal and trusty servant.

While Arthur's mind grappled with the results either decision would have, his largest Knight strode toward him and began speaking. He and Elyan had entered the chamber a few moments prior and as Percival took in the scenes before him, he knew he had to intervene immediately.

"Sire, wait."All heads turned towards toward him at the outburst.

Percival had found Elyan unconscious on the floor of Gwen's cottage and as his friend finally came back to his senses, they'd managed to piece together what had occurred. As soon as Elyan was able to stand they made their way as fast as they could to the Council Chambers in the hope they weren't too late to stop a tragedy from unfolding.

"Sire, we have proof that what Merlin says about Gwen is true." Percival did not speak as much as most of the knights but his voice was strong and deep and commanded attention when he did chose to use it. While he continued with his evidence Gwaine helped Elyan to move forward and sit down in one of the large wooden chairs at the council table.

"The Lady Guinevere was in such a desperate state to meet _Lancelot _that she bashed her brother over the head to get away from him." Arthur furrowed his brow as he took a close look at Elyan. He could see a bloody wound on the back of the knights head, and the effects of concussion were evident in his confused gaze and inability to walk unaided. "That is not something the gentle, caring girl we know would ever do," Percival finished, looking toward Merlin for reassurance.

Agravaine clenched his jaw, his lips tightening into a narrow line. "That proves nothing your Highness," he stammered obsequiously. "Merely that she is more deeply in love with him than we realised."

"When Elyan has recovered I'm sure he will attest that Gwen has been acting strange for a few days. Regarding what Merlin said about Lancelot; I do not believe this man here," he gestured toward the shade, "is the Lancelot who I met and travelled to Camelot with. There are things, personal things; he should know about my past that he has no recollection of Sire."

"This is ridiculous Arthur. Surely you can see that!" Agravaine snorted, only to be completely ignored by the man he spoke to.

Arthur's gaze went from Percival to Elyan to Lancelot as he grappled with what he was hearing and then finally, toward his beloved Guinevere.

"What have you to say for yourself?" His voice came out amazing steady considering she'd just torn out his heart and trampled on it.

Gwen tried to stop her crying long enough to answer but was at a loss as to why she'd done what she did.

"I...I can recall hitting him but I don't know why Arthur. Something took over. I just had to be here at midnight and I couldn't let anything get in my way." She sobbed pitifully. "I'm so sorry Elyan."

Arthur's stare remained fixed on her for a moment as he tried to assess whether her distress was real and whether it was possible that she not be in full control of herself. After coming to a decision he turned toward the guards surrounding _Lancelot_.

"You, go and fetch Gaius." He ordered one of them. Merlin looked on hopefully, noting that Arthur was standing up straight again and appeared to have regained some of his authority and self belief.

"Merlin come here." Arthur beckoned his servant over. Merlin gave the guards around him a wary look before he slowly approached Arthur, their eyes locked together.

"Arthur, you're not going to listen to the words of a lowly servant are you? What would your father say?" Agravaine tried desperately to intervene, knowing his very future was at stake.

"Uncle please. I am in command here and I will make the decisions." Arthur turned to his Uncle and pierced him with a cold, withering glare. Merlin could see his jaw quivering as he fought to maintain control of his emotions.

Satisfied that he had regained the upper hand, he then turned to address Merlin."I will give you a chance to explain yourself but I will not have you casting aspersions upon my Uncle unless you have proof. Understand?" Arthur's voice was still low and menacing but laced with enough confusion and doubt to give Merlin reason to hope.

"Leon, you and Gwaine will escort _Lancelot_ to the Knight's guest quarters and arrange for him to be under guard at all times. I will speak with him shortly. Percival, take Elyan to his room where he can rest."

Merlin allowed himself a deep breath as he watched Arthur issue commands. The very fact that he was able to do so was evidence that Morgana's plan to break him, had failed. When he glanced over Arthur's shoulder at Agravaine, he felt even more emboldened. The Du Bois Lord was literally fuming; his cheeks had turned ruddy and his lips were so pinched they were bloodless.

Gaius arrived shortly after, with a guard escorting him. He had been unable to settle all evening since his chat with Elyan and would not be able to until Merlin was safely in his room for the night. As a result, he was not overly shocked when the guards rapped on his door some time after midnight. Walking into the Council Chamber's, the first thing he did was search out Merlin and seeing his ward safe and sound, he allowed himself to relax slightly before resuming his path toward the King. It was clear that something big had happened and he suspected it was to do with Gwen and the shade.

While Agravaine prattled on in Arthur's ear, trying to sway his decision against Gwen and Merlin, the old physician made eye contact with Merlin. A silent exchange occurred between them wherein Merlin tried to convey the seriousness of the situation.

"Sire, you summoned me," Gaius queried.

"Gaius yes." Arthur acknowledged him. "I know you no longer practice magic but from your previous... experience and the knowledge you have gathered over the years, I want your opinion on the possibility of Guinevere being under some sort of ... ensorcellment."

Gaius' eyebrow shot up as he replied calmly, "I cannot claim to be any sort of expert but if you wish it, I will examine Guinevere." The old man headed over to where Guinevere stood abjectly a few metres away. "If I may take her to my quarter's Sire?"

Arthur nodded and sent a few guards along as accompaniment. "Please report back as soon as you have anything."

"Sire."

Merlin wanted to follow his mentor and see for himself what magic was at work. He was also a little worried in case the enchantment exerted itself again, placing Gaius in some sort of danger. On the other hand he dare not leave Arthur alone with the honey tongued Agravaine. He'd coerced Arthur into a decision that almost started a war against Caerleon only a matter of months previously and his ability to manipulate could never be underestimated.

"Remain here Merlin," Arthur barked at him as he turned to watch Gaius leave. (Decision made then!)

* * *

Gwen stumbled along behind Gaius, a guard's hand on her upper arm steadying her when her tears clouded her vision too much to see properly. Once at the Physician's Chambers, Gaius asked the guards to stay outside and he gently guided the lady inside.

"What have I done Gaius?" Gwen cried as she fell onto a wooden bench in exhaustion. "I had everything I wanted but I've thrown it all away!" Her voice was utterly broken and heartbraking.

Gaius sank down beside her and placed a comforting hand on her back. "Calm down Guinevere," he cooed. "I need you to tell me all you remember since_ Lancelot_ arrived."

"_Lancelot_, yes." Gwen replied dazedly, eyes staring off into the middle distance.

"Gwen, try to concentrate," the physician prompted her after a silence. "I have reason to believe you are not acting of your own volition and to get to the bottom of the issue, you need to help me."

Gwen turned to the old man's in shock, her brows furrowed as she took in what he'd said. "You mean there might be an explanation for what I've done?"

Gaius nodded once, "Perhaps. Elyan has reported your behaviour has seemed strange for some days. I want you to think back Gwen, has anything unusual happened since _Lancelot_ turned up?"

Gwen's mind was a tangle of emotions and thoughts. She loved Arthur with all her heart and soul yet something had driven her to pursue _Lancelot_; a love she'd gotten over years ago. Arthur was all and everything she wanted; why would she have acted so? If what Gaius said was true, it would make a sort of sense. Either that or she was crazy.

"I stopped having feelings for _Lancelot_ a long time ago Gaius but then he came to my house and spoke to me about the Mudhabi people and how they reminded him of me; their honesty and their goodness." Her right hand unconsciously reached for the bracelet he'd given her during that particular discussion; her fingers tracing over the designs on its surface as her expression went blank again.

Gaius regarded her closely as the vagueness took over her countenance. He could s for himself that something very odd was happening to the normally bright, honest, intelligent young woman sitting before him. His gaze slipped to the one part of her body that still moved as she sat in her stupor - her hands.

"Gwen, now listen to me my dear. That bracelet you're wearing, where did it come from?"

The girl looked down to where her hands were sitting in her lap, "He gave it to me; _Lancelot_ I mean."

"May I see it?" Gaius asked gently. He could already see symbols on it but needed to get a closer look before he could be sure.

Guinevere nodded, ripping it from her arm roughly, "I never want to see it again Gaius!" She put her hands to her face, no longer able to hold back the tears. The physician got to his feet stiffly and moved to put on his reading spectacles. Turning the silver band over and over in the light of a torch all his suspicions were confirmed. Marks of the Old Religion were inscribed along the entire perimeter of the object and opening one of his 'forbidden' books which illustrated the marks and symbols of the Old Religion and what they meant, he translated what appeared.

_**'The heart of the wearer will love only the one who giveth this token.'**_

Gaius turned toward Gwen, dropping the bracelet down from eye level. There was only one person who had enough knowledge of the Old Religion and who held the power to cast such an enchantment; Morgana.

Opening the door to his chamber's he ordered the guards to keep an eye on Guinevere whilst he rushed to the King with his findings.

**A/N; Any opinions on the believability of the events? Was Arthur too understanding/open minded? How about Percival's appearance? I think Gaius and Merlin should have recognized the bracelet in the tv show version of the episode? (Either that or Merlin should have sensed magic at work - i mean he is the most powerful warlock ever known).**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: The name for the landing where the statue of the griffin sits is the Griffin Landing according to the transcript's on Merlin Wiki. The stone staircase that leads up to it does not seem to have a name so I have called it the Griffin Stairway. (To remind you, this was the steps where Arthur presented a freshly rescued Gwen to Morgana, after she was kidnapped by Hengist in "Lancelot and Guinevere".)**

Shortly after Gaius had taken Guinevere with him for examination, Arthur dismissed everybody from the Council Chambers bar two guards, leaving them with instructions to inform him immediately if anything happened. He needed time to regain his composure after what he'd just seen and heard, and the privacy of his own room's seemed the best place for it. Everything he thought was a sure thing in his life felt like it was currently balanced on a very fine edge and whatever the outcome of tonight's events, he knew things would never be the same again. The idea that his Uncle Agravaine was not the benevolent guiding hand he believed was almost as painful as knowing Guinevere had betrayed him and as his heart ached with the prospect of either being true, the familiarity his own chamber's afforded him, seemed the best refuge.

Merlin had, of course, accompanied him and the reliability and constancy of his man servant was the only other thing Arthur felt confidant of.

Arthur dropped into his favourite chair and Merlin busied himself by stoking the fire as his King wrestled with his thoughts. After a few minutes, Arthur took his hand away from where he was rubbing at his forehead and spoke.

"Before this becomes an official investigation, I want you to tell me why you made those assertions about _Lancelot_ and Guinevere."

"It may be best to wait until Gaius returns." Merlin began, still kneeling at the hearth. He held back on the 'You're more likely to listen to him than me - a lowly servant.'

"No, I want to hear it from you Merlin," Arthur stated more authoritatively, leaning forward slightly where he sat. "And no lies. I'm sick of the lies."

Merlin got up and nervously took a seat opposite Arthur.

"Arthur, more than anyone I wanted it to be true that Lancelot had somehow survived and managed to return to us. But it's not possible." Merlin shook his head forlornly thinking back to the moment when Lancelot turned and smiled gently at him before stepping through the sundered veil; the knowledge that he would never set foot in the world of the living again, clearly written on his face.

"Percival wasn't the only one who saw through him. I too had an encounter where _Lancelot_ failed to recall an event that was important to us both."

Arthur's eyes briefly travelled around the room before settling back on Merlin's.

"Gaius concurs with this opinion I assume?"

Merlin nodded.

"It's some kind of _sorcery_ then?" he asked, his lips moving around the word sorcery like it was something dirty.

Merlin's heart plunged as Arthur's bad opinion of magic manifested itself. Not knowing what else to do, he went to the side table and poured some wine for Arthur. When he saw how much his King's hand shook as he reached for the goblet, Merlin cursed himself for failing to stop the Shade from reaching his rendezvous. If only he could have prevented all this heart ache!

After a few long drafts of wine, Arthur continued. "Why did you say that about my Uncle?" Merlin could tell Arthur's carefully neutral expression and tone of voice were masking the true fury and confusion that must be boiling within him.

"I..." Merlin sat down again opposite Arthur but was careful to avoid eye contact. "I'm not sure how to explain Sire, but you have to be careful of him."

* * *

Agravaine scuttled from the Council Chamber's after Arthur's dismissal and headed toward his own room's. His tactical mind tried desperately to think of a way to get Morgana's plan back on track before it all blew up in his face. A moment of fear surged through him before he used his outrage and anger at Merlin's outspokenness to push it aside. How dare such a lowly placed creature speak up against him! Uther's spawn was no better; he should have put the boy in his place immediately. Maybe the pair of them deserved each other. An ugly sneer formed on Lord Agravaine's face as he thought of all the ways he'd make the boy suffer once Arthur was out of the way. Before that though, there was work to be done and he'd have to act quickly and take risks he normally wouldn't if things were to be put to rights. Still, it would be worth it when he sat beside the Lady Morgana as ruler of Camelot. Agravaine stood and admired himself in his looking glass for several moments before he bent to retrieve a scroll and a small pouch from the trunk at the foot of his bed. He quickly brushed himself down before setting off to begin his work.

* * *

Gaius rushed toward Arthur as fast as his arthritic old joints would allow, the offending item of jewellery clutched tightly in his hand. The Griffin Stairway seemed to be getting steeper and steeper every year, causing him to breathe heavily from around the halfway point.

Passing through the Griffin Landing at the top of said stairwell, Lord Agravaine was making his way to the knight's guest quarters where he planned to deliver Morgana's final message to Lancelot, bidding him to kill himself. When he stepped onto the stairwell and saw what the old physician had in his grasp however, a more immediate problem presented itself. If Gaius got to Arthur with proof of Gwen's enchantment, there'd be little hope of salvaging anything from the situation.

Lord Agravaine had previous experience in disguising deaths as accidents and as he looked around himself, a method of doing away with the conniving old fool for good, jumped out at him. He sneered at how easy it was going to be - one little well timed push and the old man would tumble all the way down the stairs. An abandoned carafe of wine sat on the window sill to his right and the addition of a few carefully placed spills of the slippery liquid would suggest strongly that the old man slipped in his haste to get to the king with his discovery.

When Gaius finally got his breath back, he started up the stairs again. He hadn't yet seen Arthur's uncle as he had his head down watching where he placed his feet. When he did finally look up, it was because he heard the tread of heavy boots on the stairs above him. Long black boots came into his field of vision first, then dark trousers, jacket and the gentle flapping of a long black cape.

Gaius took in the face of Lord Agravaine as he came toward him and although he'd seen many truly bad men before in his life, the twisted, evil face that leered at him now, was worse than almost all of them. Without any words being spoken, he knew his life was in danger.

In another part of the castle, Elyan was becoming restless. The pain from his head and accompanying dizziness had receded enough that he now wished to go to his sister. Percival had tried to persuade his friend to rest a bit longer but Elyan's need to protect his sister was strong. She had just committed what amounted to treason and if Arthur could not be convinced that she wasn't in full possession of her will when she dallied with Lancelot, her future could be dire.

It didn't take much to convince Percival that the siblings needed to be together. He'd give anything to have the opportunity once again to be able to offer his sister or one of his brothers some protection.

The knight's quarters were on the level below Arthur's rooms and as they turned onto the stairway they both witnessed Agravaine poised malignantly above Gaius, his arms stretched out toward the old man. Percival drew his sword and took off up the stairs as fast as he could go. Elyan exclaimed loudly then followed not long after.

It wasn't clear if it was Elyan's shout or the sound of Percival's sword as it dragged against its scabbard that alerted Agravaine that he had witnesses but upon realising he'd been foiled, the older knight's face changed abruptly into one of shock then disgust.

"Curse you Gaius! And your interfering ward!" he snarled at the physician. Taking the last step between himself and Gaius, he propelled the old man downwards as hard as he could. Then, like the coward he was, he fled.

Gaius felt himself begin to topple and braced himself for the bone shattering impact with the stone stairs that was surely coming. When he thwacked into something much softer however, he couldn't believe his luck.

All the blood had drained from Gaius' face and his rheumy old eyes were stretched wide as he pushed himself free of his rescuer.

"Sir Percival! Never have I been happier to see you in my life!" he exclaimed, voice unsteady and legs trembling.

Percival just grinned back at him, offering a small nod of acknowledgement.

Elyan ran past the two men, shouting as he took off in pursuit of Agravaine. "I'm going after him Percival! Take Gaius to Arthur and be sure he knows exactly what happened here!"

Somehow the vessel of enchantment had remained in Gaius' hand and holding it up before him he handed it to Percival.

"Would you carry this for me Sir Knight? I appear to be a little shaky."

**A/N: Percival saves the day again! Gaius is supposed to be nearing his eightieth year isn't he? It can't be easy for him having to rush from his chambers to the Council Room or wherever else he is required in the castle, especially with all those stairs!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Not as much action in this chapter as in the previous one.**

"He tried to what?" Arthur retorted incredulously to Percival's retelling of Agravaine's attempt on Gaius' life. "Are you sure you're not mistaken?" His heart pleaded for it to be so, even though his head told him otherwise. The word of both a knight of Camelot and of the man who'd cared for him since before he was even born, could not be ignored.

His Uncle had effectively condemned himself.

Upon hearing of the attack, Merlin had unconsciously stepped toward his mentor and placed a hand on his bony old shoulder; the age and fragility of the man who'd been more like a father to him than anyone else, suddenly seeming all too apparent. He turned his gaze to Percival who stood passively at Gaius' side, seemingly oblivious to the magnitude of his actions. The large man had saved Gaius from horrible injury or more likely death and Merlin felt an overwhelming gratitude to him.

"I'm sorry Sire, but it's true. Lord Agravaine could not risk me getting to you with the evidence of Guinevere's enchantment." Gaius added forthrightly as Percival stepped forward and placed the bracelet upon Arthur's desk.

Lowering his head and softening his voice, the physician continued. "This must be terribly difficult for you to hear Arthur, but your Uncle was deeply involved in this nefarious plan. I fear he has not been acting with Camelot's best interests at heart for some time now."

Merlin's attention shifted back to the King as Gaius spoke and he felt his heart lurch in sympathy as Arthur was forced to accept the inescapable truth that his Uncle was not all he seemed to be.

"It can't be," Arthur muttered under his breath, all the blood draining from his face. "Why would he betray me like this?" Turning away from the others in the room, he rubbed his forehead and did his best to swallow back the grief and hurt threatening to overtake him. This couldn't be happening. He'd entrusted Agravaine with everything about himself and about Camelot. He'd relied upon his advice and counsel almost every day and he'd confided in him with all his fears and weaknesses.

Merlin wanted nothing more than to take away the pain for his friend but all he could do was watch and hope Arthur was strong enough to overcome it. He knew this moment had been inevitable for some time, but now it was actually here, it was worse than any scenario Merlin had envisioned. He glanced over to Gaius who returned his worried look with one of his own.

"Don't blame yourself Arthur. It's nothing you did or didn't do." Merlin tried to catch the eye of his friend as he spoke but Arthur was too buried within his own emotions to take much notice. He glanced quickly at Merlin before turning toward Gaius. "Your kidnapping: is that what you are referring to Gaius? Why did you not say anything before?" Arthur voiced defensively, trying to hide his pain behind the anger.

"Would you have listened Arthur? We had no real evidence. It would have been his word against ours!" Merlin drew Arthur's attention away from Gaius'.

Arthur was hurt by the accusation but deep down he feared he may indeed have taken the word of his Uncle over that of his loyal and steadfast servants. It's not like he hadn't before.

Berating himself silently for his bad judgement, the King paced over to stand by the window, crossing his arms unconsciously to ward off any further harmful missives.

"Sire, I fear he will not stop yet. Guinevere may still be in some danger," Gaius prompted. As he watched Arthur begin to internalize his anger and pain, he knew the best medicine was to get the young man out of this defensive frame of mind. If he could just get Arthur to begin taking some action, he felt sure his training would take over and allow him to function despite his emotions.

Arthur breathed deeply then turned back toward the others. There would be time to dwell upon his failings later but right now he needed to take control and act like the King he was supposed to be. He clenched his hands together in an attempt to stop their shaking before giving orders in what he hoped was a suitably commanding voice.

"Guards, send for Sir Leon and Sir Gwaine." If Gaius was right, Agravaine may try something with Guinevere and he'd be damned if he let her be used any further in this whole squalid business. Lancelot was a probable target too as indeed was anyone who happened to get in Agravaine's way. A full scale search for the untrustworthy Lord needed to be started as soon as possible.

Suddenly noticing that Sir Percival was still present, Arthur nodded toward his largest knight.

"Percival, you've done well."

Merlin allowed himself a small measure of relief as he saw Arthur's resolve to get on with things. When there was time for Arthur to dwell upon the full weight of Agravaine's deceit, he'd be there beside his king, to help him however he could.

"I was just in the right place at the right time Sire." Sir Percival answered, slightly embarrassed at the attention.

"Sir Percival, in all probability, you saved my life. I may be old but I'd like to think I still have a lot to offer the Kingdom." Gaius added. "Please, don't be so modest."

"Perhaps I should go and help with the search," Percival asked quietly, desperate to be out of the limelight. "If you permit Sire?"

Arthur nodded, "Tell Leon I want the castle searched from top to bottom. And I want Lord Agravaine brought to me alive!" Arthur commanded to the knight's retreating form before he addresses the physician. "Gaius, is there more I need to hear about what's been going on?"

* * *

When he saw the dark skinned knight running toward him, Agravaine turned and sprinted away as fast as he could. There was no way he would be able to out run a younger, fitter man so he'd have to use all his stealth and cunning if he wished to escape with his life.

The wings of the castle that housed the royal chambers, guest rooms and other private suites were very well guarded so Agravaine took pains to stay away from them. Hastily taking a convoluted path through several corners and up and down a number of short stairways, he ran until he was in the less used, darker southern quarter. He took refuge in the least lit corridor he could find, glancing over his shoulder to check he was not being pursued before allowing himself to slow down and think for a moment. Should he make his way out of the castle straight away or was it best to wait a few hours? He knew that the castle had siege tunnels which would offer him a safe route out, but as yet he hadn't been able to get his hands on the plans for them. Still, there were other ways and a man with his resources was sure to find a way.

Suddenly, the sound of the Warning Bell started, rattling Agravaine out of his musings.

"Blast!" he spat out. That was going to make things somewhat trickier.

* * *

Gaius had shown the King the runes on the bracelet and translated their meaning for him.

"So you see Sire, Guinevere had no control over her behaviour regarding _Lancelot_." Gaius paused, giving Arthur time to digest the explanation.

Arthur had refused to touch the item of magic but was listening intently as Gaius explained. He felt a sharp stab of guilt at even contemplating that Guinevere would cheat on him.

"And what of Lancelot? Merlin and Percival are adamant it isn't him. I don't understand how that's even possible?"

Gaius looked at Merlin before continuing. "We believe Lancelot was chosen specifically to be part of this plot as he and Gwen had ..._feelings_ for each in the past. Therefore an affair between those two now, would be all the more believable and indeed, hurtful to you Sire."

"But there are only a few people who knew about Gwen and Lancelot." Arthur added, his face displaying his confusion as he grappled with Gaius' words.

"And there are only a few sorcerers with enough skill and power to use necromancy to bring Lancelot back from the dead." Merlin spoke, watching Arthur's face closely. "We...that is Gaius believes that Lancelot is a Shade Arthur."

"A what?" Arthur asked.

"A Shade Sire. It possesses the physical likeness and abilities of the original person but has a mind empty of memories. Strong magic; dark magic, is needed to bring the chosen entity back from the other realm and the sorcerer who does so, controls the Shade completely. It is up to them to give the shade its memories and he or she can instruct it to do whatever he or she wishes." Gaius talked slowly and calmly in the way he always did when speaking of magic in front of the Pendragon men.

"That's why he didn't recall certain incidents." Merlin added in. "M... The conjuror could only tell it of things they knew about."

"But he was so convincing." Arthur stammered. Perhaps he'd wanted Lancelot to be alive so much, that he'd not let himself see the truth. Even though all his knights swore to give up their lives for Camelot, when Lancelot had actually done so at The Isle of the Blessed, he'd felt hideously guilty for months afterward. Having Lancelot alive and well again, alleviated any blame or failure on his part.

Arthur squeezed the bridge of his nose to try and quell the pressure building in his head.

"I've been taken for a complete fool!" He yelled, stalking over to his window in anger. Despite the darkness of night, a number of flaming torches lit up the courtyard due to the wide search currently taking place for Lord Agravaine. Arthur concentrated on the progress of one particular light for a few moments as he pieced together what he'd just learned.

"It's Morgana isn't it?" he asked quietly, voice shaking with the effort to control himself. "Only she would know how much this would hurt me." He turned to face into the room again. "She wanted me to execute Guinevere didn't she? To bring me to my knees?"

Arthur's face was a picture of agony. His pale blue eyes were as wide as saucers and Merlin thought he could see a sheen of moisture in them.

"Arthur, I'm sorry. I wanted to stop this from happening." Merlin cried. "I tried but..."

Arthur focussed on Merlin. "Merlin," he shook his head, "It's not up to you to protect me. You're a servant not a soothsayer." Arthur's words were supposed to comfort the boy but instead he saw Merlin avert his gaze abruptly and look strangely shaken.

* * *

Elyan had run into a number of platoons of guards since the warning bell had sounded, all on the hunt for the fugitive. Rounding a corner not far from the palace kitchens he met up with Sir Gwaine, who had been briefed by Percival. Only the knights closest to Arthur had been informed what Agravaine was guilty of. In the best interests of the Kingdom, Leon had decided not to divulge any more information than was strictly necessary to anybody else.

"Gwaine, any sign of him? I lost sight of him not far from the eastern tower." Elyan asked his friend.

Gwaine shook his head, "He's still on the loose. Won't be for much longer though, the sly bastard."

"It's hard to comprehend. He seemed so ..."

"Noble? Well, I guess that's why he's been so successful. Everyone trusted him." Gwaine thought back to the iron ore mine where they'd found Gaius. "I can't believe I was so gullible!"

"I don't think anyone can." Elyan replied, sparing a thought for Arthur. "I'm heading over to the Physician's rooms. Gwen is still there and I wouldn't put it past Agravaine to make another attempt on her."

"Okay." Gwaine nodded. "I'm off to search the catacombs with this lot," he gestured to the dozen guards and younger knights gathering behind him. "See you later."

Guinevere was sitting stiffly at Gaius' table, still sobbing quietly when her brother arrived. Seeing her obvious distress, he quickly went to her and took up her hands in his own as he sat down beside her.

"Gwen?"

"Oh Elyan, what have I done? Will he ever forgive me?" she cried, her face twisted in anguish as she looked up at him.

"Sssshhhhh Gwen. Arthur knows you were enchanted. It will be okay." He pulled her into his arms as he reassured her. Whoever hurt his sister like this was going to pay!

"But I should have been able to fight it!" Gwen sobbed. She felt disgusted in herself and the look upon Arthur's face when he'd seen her kissing Lancelot would haunt her for many months. At first there'd been anger and rage which had managed to touch her even through the layers of the enchantment she was under. But it was the raw, unadulterated pain that she'd witnessed on his face that had stayed with her. It had taken many years for Arthur to crack through the protective layers he'd built up over his emotions until he felt able to open his heart up to her. Furthermore he'd been brave enough to defy the differences in class between them; to stand up to the prejudices and protestations of the court. The idea that she'd thrown it all back in his face; treated him like he meant nothing to her, that was intolerable.

"I don't know if he'll ever forgive me Elyan." She stammered. "And I'm so sorry I hit you," she looked up at him as the memory of picking up the jug and then swinging it at his head, suddenly came into her mind.

"Gwen, you're forgiven. Anyone who really knows you would recognise that you are not capable of those actions." Elyan continued. "Arthur included."

She pulled back from him, "You really think so?"

* * *

While the hunt for Agravaine continued apace, the man himself was still hiding in the darkness of a small disused storage room. It was draughty, dusty and cobwebby but he had endured a lot worse in his time. He'd come to the decision that the best thing to do was to retreat to Morgana's hovel and put himself at her mercy.

Looking left and right before continuing, Agravaine emerged slowly from the storage cupboard. As he crept along as quietly as he could, he tried to compose his speech for the Lady Morgana. The judicious use of words was usually his forte but he'd need to apply some extreme spin doctoring to the present situation if he was to escape her wrath.

Perhaps she could be persuaded to vent her anger at Arthur's bloody man servant and the pesky old physician. It was their unpredictable words and actions that had brought their plan undone after all.

Before he left the confines of the citadel however, there was one more task he needed to carry out and with that in mind he made his way toward the knight's guest quarters.

**A/N: I think Morgana stated her motive at the beginning of the TV episode as being that she could not bear for Gwen to sit on HER throne. I think she would have also been hoping to brake Arthur's heart as well – the evil nasty so and so!  
What did you think of Gaius and Merlin's explanation of both the bracelet's effect on Gwen and on how the Shade Lancelot was conjured? I hope it made sense. **


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: The chapter starts with some Arwen action. I did not feel very confident in writing this section, but felt the reconciliation needed between the two at this point was necessary for the story to progress.  
I have taken longer than I wished to get this chapter ready so am very sorry for the delay. I hope anyone reading has not been put off!  
On with the story then...  
**

Not long after Gaius had left his chambers, Arthur's thoughts turned to his betrothed; a mixture of contrition and anxiety swirling in his mind. The fact that he'd actually entertained the idea of Guinevere being unfaithful, made his stomach twist with guilt. Surely he trusted her enough to know that anything she'd felt for Lancelot was long past? Wasn't it obvious that the Guinevere he knew and loved would never have behaved that way?

To add to his worries, it seemed Guinevere's safety was still something to be concerned about. After all Gaius and Merlin had told him and with an enraged Agravaine still on the loose, it was reasonable to assume that she may be his next target. Deciding that the safest place for her would be by his side, Arthur sent a contingent of four guards to the Physician's rooms to bring Guinevere safely to him (with orders to explain clearly that they were there for her protection only).

A little while later a gentle knock sounded on the King's door and feeling suddenly anxious about the upcoming encounter, Arthur sent Merlin to answer it while he collected himself. Merlin opened the door to reveal a teary eyed, clearly shaken Guinevere and as he made an inconspicuous exit, Gwen took one hesitant step into the room.

As soon as the two occupants locked gazes upon each other any bitterness or doubt was immediately washed away by the affection and tenderness that flowed between them. Gwen ran toward Arthur, doing her best to stifle the sobs which tried to escape her mouth and the two embraced silently, their physical touch saying much more than words ever could. After some time, Gwen pulled back but kept her hands upon Arthur's upper arms.

"I'm so sorry I hurt you Arthur."

"No Guinevere, you have nothing to be sorry for. You were under the influence of magic. It is I who should apologise. I should never have entertained the idea that you would be unfaithful."

"But, I should have been stronger Arthur."

"Don't Guinevere. It is Morgana and ... Agravaine who are to blame. They would have used whoever they needed, in any manner possible, just to get what they wanted."

"And what did they want Arthur? Did she really want me dead? I can't ..." Gwen had put the pieces together herself after Gaius explained to her about Lancelot being a Shade and the details of her own enchantment. If Arthur had believed what he'd witnessed take place in the Council Chambers she would have been exiled or possibly even executed. She had served Morgana for over ten years and been her closest confidante and friend for most of that time. How could the compassionate, morally principled girl she'd been so close to, have changed so much as to want her dead?

"There's nothing of the old Morgana left Guinevere. She's been driven mad by her hatred and need for revenge." Arthur took a few steps away from Gwen as he spoke and gave a short incredulous laugh. "It's ridiculous really. She claimed to hate my, our father, because of those very same qualities. Yet she's a crueller tyrant than he ever was. Anybody standing in the way of what she wants is at risk; no matter who they are or how many they number. Not to mention how innocent."

"Do you think if we had've realised what was going on earlier, that we could have saved her?"

Gwen had wondered more than once if she'd somehow let her friend down. Looking back, it was obvious that all Morgana's nightmares were the stirrings of her magical abilities, not merely the nocturnal illusions brought on by a tired mind than she had supposed at the time.

Arthur returned his beloved's gaze for a moment before dropping his head.

"I don't know Guinevere. I dread to think what my father would have done if he knew she had magic."

Arthur had alternated between feeling guilty that he had not recognised his sister's need and done something to help her and being resigned to the knowledge that there was nothing anyone could have done as magic sent everyone it contaminated mad.

"Perhaps if she had gotten help? Gone to the Druids perhaps?" Gwen asked half heartedly.

Arthur shook his head, dismissing the notion silently. For one thing there was no way Uther would have allowed it and secondly, given the way they'd been treated by Camelot in the past, who knows how the Druids would have responded.

"I doubt there was anything that could have stopped her," he concluded solemnly.

Arthur pulled Gwen toward him again and she nestled into the warmth of his strong chest gratefully.

* * *

A little under two candle marks later Arthur and Merlin were alone again. Gwen had been settled into the adjoining chambers and extra guards had been posted. Merlin had taken the opportunity earlier to secretly place a few wards of protection near the windows and doors when he had gone in to light the fire and turn back the bedclothes.

Sir Leon had the unfortunate task of reporting to the King that Agravaine still hadn't been located. His men had been searching constantly for the entire time and were beginning to flag. The majority of the guards had been awakened from a night's rest to join the search parties after already having put in a full day's work. Many of the knights had not had a particularly taxing day, having spent it watching the tournament and then attending the feast, but even they were running out of energy.

"There has been no sign yet Sire but you have my word that we will not give up until Agravaine has been apprehended." Leon was fully aware of how much this betrayal would be hurting Arthur and he, along with several of the knights, had made it a personal mission to avenge his torment.

"We've been over the entire castle twice; catacombs and towers included." His explanation was not meant as an excuse but more a reassurance that no area of the castle would remain unturned in their continuing efforts.

Arthur was sitting at his desk as Leon reported but stood up and paced over to the window before replying. "He has intimate knowledge of the castle's geography Leon, which he will be putting to good use I have no doubt."

"That is to his advantage Sire, but he is only one man. With as many as we have looking for him, sooner or later he will be found."

Arthur was itching to join the search himself but had thus far managed to restrain himself.

"And you are sure he hasn't managed to leave the castle already?" The exhaustion was clear upon Arthur's face as he spoke and his voice held a trace of self doubt that was not usually part of his demeanour.

"All the exits are covered Sire, by double the usual complement of guards. There's no way he could have gotten out." Leon shook his head slightly, glancing toward Merlin as he stood quietly off to the side.

Closing his eyes momentarily and squeezing at the bridge of his nose, Arthur turned away from the knight.

"I'll report in another candle mark Sire." The curly headed knight spoke quietly and waited for Arthur's nod before taking his leave.

Merlin was beyond tired. He had not had a proper night's sleep in days, what with researching, tracking Agravaine and worrying about what was going to happen. However spent and exhausted he felt though, he knew Arthur would be suffering more. It was at times like this, when the very fabric of Arthur's life had been torn apart (again), that the young King needed him most. Not that the arrogant prat would admit it of course, but Merlin provided him with exactly the sort of bracing reassurance that he required when his self doubts had been given reason to surface.

Arthur stared out the window for a few minutes more before finally speaking again. "Merlin. What you said about me not listening to you in favour of ... my uncle. Well, you're right and for that, I am sorry."

"Arthur, there's no need ..." Merlin tried to interject but was hushed into silence by Arthur raising a hand.

"No Merlin. You tried to tell me some time ago that Agravaine's motives were ... questionable."

Merlin locked eyes with the King as he swung around to face him.

"I reacted badly and... it is no excuse but perhaps I was thinking with my heart rather than my head." Of everyone he had associations with in Camelot, it was Merlin who stood at his side, regardless of the danger he placed himself in or of the seeming helplessness of the situation. He'd been so relieved to have his uncle's experience and counsel when his father was no longer able to act as King, that he'd cast Merlin aside in favour of blood ties. "You have shown me unquestioning loyalty and honesty in all the years you have been in my service Merlin and that should count for more."

Merlin swallowed hard, all the lies and evasions he'd subjected Arthur to over the years sitting like a dead weight in his belly. Many were the times when he'd craved some recognition for his efforts but now, when Arthur was finally delivering, it felt wrong; undeserved.

"Arthur, I'll always do whatever it takes to help you become the King I know you can be." Arthur was staring at him with a perturbing tender expression. The intensity of the night's happenings needed some lightening up so Merlin conjured up his best cheeky grin before speaking again. "No matter how bigger prat you are."

Thankfully his efforts paid off as Arthur's face broke into a small smile and he managed a huff of laughter in return.

* * *

An urgent rapping at the door, shortly after the next fruitless report from Sir Leon, interrupted Arthur's continued brooding.

"Enter!" he called out hopefully, standing up from where he was seated at his desk as he spoke. His heart thumped apprehensively at the notion that his Uncle had been caught and was now awaiting him in the dungeons.

"Sire!" Sir Gwaine burst through the door; his anxious expression together with his hurried approach was a clear give away that something significant had occurred. (Not to mention the proper use of Arthur's title.)

"What is it Gwaine?" Arthur replied in a clipped tone.

"It's Lancelot." The knight glanced worriedly toward Merlin before continuing. "He's dead."

"What?" Arthur failed to hide his surprise as he replied; that had certainly not been the news he was bracing himself for. "How?"

"Leon's with him now, but you better come and see for yourself." Gwaine replied, unusually straight faced and sombre.

Merlin was on the point of correcting his friend - how could something that was never really alive, be dead - but the utter absurdity of the situation seemed to overrule his intention to speak.

Arthur grabbed his sword from where he'd discarded it earlier on the side table and set off resolutely toward the knight's quarters. Gwaine let the King lead on, lingering slightly so that he drew level with Merlin.

"Alright mate?" he asked, placing a hand on the warlock's shoulder. Gwaine was well aware of how close Merlin and Lancelot had been. Before the incident at the sundered veil, he had often seen the two with their heads together, laughing and sharing private thoughts and he could still remember the look of abject misery on Merlin's face as they left the Isle of the Blessed that fateful day.

Merlin glanced at him and gave a grim nod before setting off after Arthur.

"I'm fine Gwaine," he answered stoically. The real Lancelot had been lost to him some time back and Merlin done all his grieving then. All he felt now was a sense of anger at how disrespectfully the knight's memory had been treated and how his reputation had been so unjustly sullied.

A short while later the three arrived at the scene. Gaius was examining the body and looked up over the rim of his spectacles as the King and his ward entered.

"Sir Leon. What's going on?" Arthur asked his second in command who was standing beside the old physician, a sombre expression on his features.

"Sire. The guard outside was found unconscious by one of the younger knights; Sir Lionel. Suspecting that something was amiss, he entered to find Lancelot as you see him now." Leon nodded toward Shade Lancelot's body which was lying still and lifeless on the flagstones beside the fireplace.

"Agravaine." Arthur spoke barely above a whisper, spitting out his Uncle's name like it left a sour taste upon his tongue.

"It appears so Sire." Leon replied, eyes downcast. "This was beside him on the floor." Leon handed Arthur a small piece of parchment.

_**You have served your Mistress well Sir Lancelot.**_

_**There is one further task I now require of you.**_

_**My messenger will give you a vial, the contents of which I command you to**_

_**swallow.**_

_**This will deliver you back to the resting place from**_

_**whence you were summoned.**_

_**The Lady Morgana.**_

Arthur read through the letter in horror, the blood draining from his face as he was once again forced to confront the true evil of his half sister. The hand writing was unmistakably hers and the identity of the 'messenger' was more than likely another member of his family; Agravaine.

The world before him started to blur and he felt his legs go weak.

Merlin had been reading the letter over Arthur's shoulder and as he saw his friend sway slightly, he reached out a bracing hand to steady him. Knowing Arthur would be severely embarrassed by this seeming show of weakness, Merlin did his best to keep his efforts of aid out of eye line of everyone else in the room.

He too felt sickened; both by the faint, barely perceptible echo of Morgana's dark magic which was seeping from the parchment and by the indirect meaning in the words themselves. Like an old horse that could no longer pull the plough, this once brave and noble knight had been put out for slaughter; he had been callously used then discarded by the heartless witch in her latest quest to harm Arthur.

After a few moments, Arthur shrugged away from Merlin's hold as he pulled himself together.

"Where's the guard? Has he been questioned?" He addressed Leon in a slightly frantic tone.

"Did he actually witness my Uncle's presence?" Somehow or other, he needed to find the depth of his uncle's involvement with Morgana.

Leon glanced to Gaius. "He is resting in my chamber's Sire. I will let you know when he is in a fit state to speak with you." The physician delivered in his usual implacable tone, his eyebrow raised admonishingly.

"This is a matter of urgency Gaius! I need to know the extent of my uncle's involvement in this treachery!"

"I realise that Sire and I will do my utmost to assist." Gaius struggled to his feet again, eyes never leaving the Kings. "If you will permit me to report my findings here sire?"

Arthur brushed a hand through his hair and took a deep breath. "Of course Gaius," he nodded toward the old physician. "I apologise for my lack of ... patience."

Gaius inclined his head in acceptance. "It quite understandable Sire."

As Gaius started to explain the signs on the body and what type of poison they pointed toward, an exchange of voices could be heard just outside the doorway. Almost immediately a wide eyed Gwaine entered, hair flying as he skidded toward Arthur.

"There's been a sighting! It looks like he's heading for the stables!" The knight announced rapidly.

Knowing that every second counted if they wished not to lose the trail, Arthur took off as fast as he could, Merlin close behind him. Every instinct Arthur had told him to pursue his quarry himself, whether it was appropriate behaviour for a King or not. Right now there was nothing he needed more than to be personally involved in bringing his treacherous relation to justice.

**A/N: As much as Bamf!Merlin taking out Agravaine in the tunnels during the last ep of Series 4 was epic, I kind of wanted Arthur to be the one to deal with his traitor Uncle.  
To every one in the UK - happy series 5 watching on Saturday! In Australia we have to wait just over a week longer, which is not bad considering. One thing I'm wondering though; there has been so much talk of moving the show to an 8.30pm timeslot and how much more 'grown up' it is but Channel 10 is still showing it at 6.30pm. Does this mean there will be edits in the verion we see or are the rating systems different?**


	10. Chapter 10

While Arthur, Merlin and Gwaine raced for the stables, word spread rapidly throughout the entire citadel that Agravaine had been spotted. Leon had been ordered to stay in the castle and act as a central point of command until Arthur returned; in honesty, he'd been amazed that the King had managed to keep himself away from the action up till now. Leon had observed Arthur growing and settling into his role as sovereign since the untimely death of Uther and he doubted that even a few months ago, the young man would have shown such maturity and self control in similar circumstances.

When Sir Percival heard Agravaine had been sighted, he set off for the stables as fast as he could; a need to stand united against the enemy fuelling his progress through the dark of night. Like Merlin, he was deeply sickened by the cold hearted treatment of Sir Lancelot and by the personal nature of the latest attack on his leader's confidence. His heart thumped loudly in his chest, both due to physical exertion and with the need to display his loyalty to his brother's - whether they are knights, royalty or servant.

Sir Elyan too, longed to stand beside his fellow knights but his swimming head said otherwise. He realised he would be more of a hindrance than a help in his present state, so decided it was best to stay in the castle. He staggered up to Gwen instead: at least he could offer her some comfort and reassurance during this troubled night.

* * *

As they approached the royal stables, Arthur, Merlin and Gwaine could see the orange glow of torch light ahead as the search continued. Well over a score of guards, knights and stable hands were combing the buildings and surrounds for any sight of the criminal or evidence that he had been present earlier.

"Sir Boris. What's going on here?" Arthur demanded of the most senior knight he came across.

"Sire. There's no sign yet I'm afraid. Apparently no horses are missing though." The young knight answered; face reddening in embarrassment at the admission. "He must still be around somewhere." He added quickly as he watched Arthur's expression change from hopeful to anger.

"Okay, keep on it." In truth, Arthur was thoroughly frustrated at the lack of success but he did not wish to convey this disappointment to his men. Sir Boris was one of his best up and coming younger knights and was exactly the sort of man Arthur wanted in his army. He knew the man would be doing everything he possibly could to apprehend Agravaine, as indeed would all his trustworthy knights, so directing his anger toward him would achieve nothing.

Merlin and Gwaine had entered into the main stable block to help the others. Merlin rubbed the forehead of his favourite mare, Cora, as he passed by her stable. The dark bay rubbed back at his hand, obviously enjoying the attention.

"If only she could tell you whether Agraviane's been here tonight." Gwaine commented as he saw the interchange between man and horse.

Merlin snorted a small laugh in reply. He'd heard Gaius talking of magic users who could understand animals, so they did exist but it wasn't something Merlin himself had ever given much thought to. He felt a certain affinity for the horses to be sure and obviously animals of magic such as dragons and unicorns had a connection with him, but that was as far as he'd taken it.

It was worth a try though, surely?

Merlin whispered comforting words to Cora as his hands caressed the white star shaped marking on her head. Concentrating deeply on the animal in front of him, he forced all the noise and movement going on around them to fade away into the distance until it was only the two of them in existence. Then gently and somewhat hesitantly, Merlin extended a tendril of magic toward the horse, using his experience of telepathic speaking as a starting point. He'd not done anything like this before so wasn't exactly sure how to go about it. Furthermore, he had no wish to scare Cora so went very slowly and carefully, keeping his comforting touch on the mare as he proceeded.

In his mind's eye he pictured his magic as a thin golden thread, moving amongst Cora's own thoughts in an unobtrusive and non threatening manner. Merlin had read accounts of sorcerer's who had been experts in mind reading and remembered their references to the infiltration of the other's mind then the 'sucking out' of any information that could be useful. He supposed it was at this stage in the procedure that one pervaded the other's thoughts and memories. The very idea of abusing another's privacy like that repulsed the young warlock and he hoped there would never be a need for him too carry out such a task.

Merlin sent his magic forwards, caressing Cora's memories and thoughts as gently as he possibly could in his search for Arthur's traitorous uncle. The golden tendril swirled and twisted, never ceasing in its search, until finally... success.

_As though looking through Cora's eyes, Merlin saw a view of Agravaine as he furtively entered the stables, panting and puffing as though he'd been running. He stopped to catch his breath for a moment before glancing over his shoulder then heading to the tack room at the end of the building._

_Agravaine had emerged again, carrying a saddle and other equipment with him when one of the older stable boys entered the stable block, a flickering torch held up before him to light his way. Trent was doing a routine check of the horses and did not even realise there was anything to be worried about as all the action was still taking place nearer the castle._

_Lord Agravaine had seen the light reflecting off the walls well before the boy came into view and quickly dumped the saddle down where he stood, seeking cover behind a stack of hay bales._

_Trent peered in at each horse as he moved along the row of stalls and it wasn't until he reached about half way point that he noticed the saddle lying in a pile of hay, slap bang in the middle of the walkway. As the boy bent down to pick it up and return it to its proper place, a couple of the horses gave nervous whinnies. They'd been having trouble with rats lately and the boy made a mental note to ask the girls in the kitchen if he could borrow a few of their cats again to deal with the problem. He still had no idea that anything was amiss as he assumed that one of the new lads must have forgotten to put the saddle away after they done cleaning it._

_When he stood up with the wayward saddle, Trent noticed a glint of light out of the corner of his eye. He'd barely had time to turn around and note the tall, black cloaked man standing in front of him before the blade end of a large dagger was rushing toward him. Instinctively, he swiped at the dagger with the saddle he was holding and managed to knock it off target. Unfortunately, he lost his footing in the struggle and before he knew it his attacker was upon him again. Trent screamed as loud as he could before the dagger hit home - removing his ability to make a noise or even breathe._

_"Wrong place, wrong time kid." The tight lipped Agravaine sneered unpleasantly, looking down at the boy as he gave his last few gasps. "The Lady Morgana thanks you for your sacrifice," he intoned as he lifted the dagger once again..._

Merlin snapped back to reality with a jolt. His head spun sickeningly for a few moments and his whole body felt strained and exhausted. His gasps for air were overheard by Arthur, who had entered the stables and now stood near to where Merlin was.

"Merlin?" Arthur enquired, a note of worry hidden beneath his usual sarcasm. "Something wrong? Seen a mouse have we?"

"He was here." Merlin stuttered under his breath, eyes darting around frantically as he grappled with what to do next. "There must be evidence."

"What are you muttering about Merlin?" Arthur looked at his friend like he'd gone mad. When Merlin suddenly got onto his hands and knees and started scraping away at the hay on the floor, Arthur was even more convinced.

"Arthur, look at this. I think its blood."

Arthur squatted down beside his servant, a scowl of indignation on his face. "What are you on about Merlin?" His eyes travelled from Merlin's shocked face down to the dark red stain the boy had just uncovered.

He ran his finger through it and peered closely at the results. "This is fresh blood." He stated. "How did you ...?" Arthur stared into his servant's face questioningly.

Merlin was not returning his gaze however, instead his eyes were on the floor a little to Arthur's right and as he pulled aside more hay another sizeable stain of blood was revealed.

"Sir Boris!" Arthur called out commandingly over his shoulder as Merlin continued to follow the grizzly trail. By the time they reached a closed door, some five metres further along, Gwaine, Percival, Boris and a couple of other knights and guards had joined them. The door lead to a feed supply room and Merlin was the first to enter.

"I want this room searched from top to bottom!" Arthur delivered authoritatively as he put a hand on Merlin's shoulder to stop him going any further.

"How did you know there was blood under that hay?" He quizzed the young man, not letting go of his arm.

"Well, I ..." Merlin flailed mentally for a reasonable explanation, "I slipped on something ... and I know firsthand how fastidious the head stable hand is. He'd never have let the boys leave a spill like that lying around."

Arthur continued to stare at Merlin and was about to question him further when a cry of alarm interrupted him.

"Arthur, we've found something." Gwaine yelled out. He and Percival were squatting behind a couple of barrels of feed, on the other side of the room. Merlin could see the pallor of their faces and tension in their shoulders as he and Arthur approached. At first he couldn't make out what the men were looking at so sternly but as his eyes finally made sense of what he was looking at, the shape revealed itself. A dirty, pale hand was sticking out from underneath a couple of hessian sacks. Percival pulled back the rest of the covering to reveal the identity of the victim.

"This is one of the senior stable boys isn't it Merlin?" Arthur asked. Merlin swallowed thickly and nodded, unable to pull his eyes away from the lifeless stare of the youth before them.

"He must have walked in on Agravaine trying to steal a horse." Percival added quietly as he noted the saddle and other tack stuffed under the hessian sacks next to the twisted, bleeding body of the innocent boy.

"So he had to be kept quiet." Gwaine concluded. "That cold blooded murdering ..." he added under his breath.

Despite what Arthur's head had been telling him, somehow his heart was still pathetically clinging to the hope that it was all a horrible mistake. There was no way he could deny the evidence that had been building up over the course of the night though; his Uncle was a scheming, lying, murdering traitor.

Arthur felt all his self doubts rise to the surface again. How could he have been so gullible and easy to trick? What was wrong with him that he made such poor decisions about who to trust? As he had been taught to from a young age, Arthur pushed his emotions to the back of his mind and forced himself to carry on.

Summoning as much confidence as he could Arthur stood tall and spoke to the men gathered around him. "We need to keep looking!" He commanded, "If Agravaine left the saddle here and there are no horses missing, he must either still be on foot or still trying to find a mount. Take caution men. As we have seen here, a cornered animal is a dangerous beast!"

Merlin stumbled out into the night air again as men set off in a number of directions to further the search. Arthur was talking to Boris; telling him to keep the stables tightly guarded in case Agravaine came back, while Gwaine and Percival gravitated toward the warlock.

"Did you know the lad?" Percival asked him gently.

Merlin looked at him and nodded before speaking, "His name was Trent. I've known him for years. He used to always help me out when Arthur gave me stable duties as punishment." Merlin swallowed back tears before continuing. "He can't get away with these crimes."

Gwaine patted his friend on the back, "We'll catch him mate. We'll catch him."

Merlin managed a small smile at the knights words, feeling comforted by their solidarity even if, thus far, they had not been entirely successful.

"I could do with a drink right about now." The knight added wistfully, staring over to the nearest tavern which was less than a block away.

Percival glared at him angrily. "Is that all you can think about?"

"What? Calm down Percy." Gwaine held his hands up in surrender. There were some people it was pure stupidity to anger.

There were no lights coming from 'The Horse and Rider', it's bar section long since closed for the evening and it's guests all turned in for the night.

"Gwaine! That's it!" Merlin suddenly shouted before setting off up the road. "You're a genius!" he bellowed over his shoulder.

Having finished giving orders to Sir Boris, Arthur joined his two closest knights as they contemplated their next move. "Where's he going in such a hurry?" Arthur gestured toward Merlin, who was now some way down the road. "Merlin!"

The sorcerer stopped and turned back to where Arthur, Gwaine and Percival stood. Even from that far away they could see a twinkle in his eye, a twinkle which had been absent for most of the night.

"The Horse and Rider has its own stables doesn't it?" Merlin called back to them.

The three men looked at each other as realisation dawned.

"Percival, make sure there's horses ready if we need them! Gwaine, you're with me!" The King ordered before drawing his sword and heading up the street after his servant.

* * *

A few minutes later Arthur, Merlin and Gwaine crept into the small courtyard behind the tavern which housed their small stabling area, the overhanging section of the upper story providing ample shadows for them to hide in. All was in darkness and after the hubbub of the royal stables, the atmosphere seemed unnaturally still and quiet.

Arthur issued a series of hand signals, indicating for Gwaine to silently approach where the horses were kept from the right, while he and Merlin edged along from the other direction. They had almost closed in upon the stable doorway when, without warning a large dark shape catapulted noisily toward them, bursting apart the tranquillity of the night as it moved. Arthur instinctively threw himself back against the wall to get out of the way, dragging Merlin with him. Sir Gwaine wasn't so quick however and Merlin heard him scream as the entity collided with him and threw him into the air.

The apparition was not effected by the contact however and continued its rapid flight through the courtyard. By this stage, Merlin was finally able to get a proper view of what had 'attacked' them. The tell tale stutter of a horse galloping, the heavy breathing as it strove to accelerate and the eerie sounds of fabric flapping in accompaniment to the animal, suggested one thing; a rider desperate to escape.

As Merlin continued to stare after the horse and rider, Arthur had already begun to move.

"Guards!" he screamed. "Guards he's here!"

Torchlight flickering and the sound of horses neighing and stamping out in the street was followed by the entrance of Percival and several guards, most of whom were staring after the retreating figure of Agravaine.

"Bring the horses!" Arthur ordered as he ran toward them. His whole body was tense and on alert; his muscles primed and ready for action and his mind equally so. This whole business had been a personal matter for him and every fibre of his being cried out for vengeance. He'd pursue Agravaine relentlessly until he'd caught him and delivered the appropriate punishment.

Merlin was right behind him, and as Arthur mounted the stallion, Merlin reached to take the gelding from Percival. As he took hold of the reigns he caught the large knight's eye.

"I think Gwaine's hurt."

"Come on Merlin! We need to get after him!" Arthur's loud voice interrupted. At the same time he urged his mount to move, digging his boots into his flanks and leaning his body forwards. Merlin looked up at Arthur as he spoke, recognising the stubborn set of his shoulders and the determination in his face.

Percival must have noticed it too. "I'll see to him Merlin. You better get after Arthur. Tell him I'll send reinforcements." He urged the warlock.

Merlin nodded his agreement with the knight then sent his horse forwards after Arthur. If he was in one of his 'I won't give up until I can go no further' moods, it would not be wise to let him out of his sight. A stubborn, angry Arthur was synonymous with trouble and Merlin would fight with everything he had to prevent any harm from coming to this man who he shared such a momentous destiny with.

**A/N:** **Poor Trent. Don't you hate it when OC's are added only so they can be killed off? Yes, it was cruel but I just wanted to emphasise how cruel and cold hearted Agravaine is. I hated the way he got away with Eoghan's murder in "The Hunter's Heart" so i invented this poor boy so that some vengeance could be had on the behalf of all the innocents Agravaine killed off.  
I actually intended to get to the confrontation between Arthur and Agravaine by now but I gat a bit carried away - what with Merlin communicating with the hoses and stuff. Still, that would be a great skill to have. Anyway, any reviews warmly welcome.**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N; Okay, I know I have ignored the issue of how Agravaine got past the guards at the beginning of the chapter, but if it's good enough for the show's writers, it's good enough for me too.**  
**The other issue I have with the show's writer's is the length of time it takes to get to Morgana's hovel. Apparently, her hovel is in The Valley of the Fallen Kings, but Agravaine got there and back within half a night or possibly even less, on numerous occasions. I thought the Valley of the Fallen Kings was a few days ride away?  
Anyway, thank you to everyone who is reading and I hope you like the chapter ahead.**

Merlin already knew the path Agravaine would take to Morgana's hovel but as he and Arthur left the safety of the castle and galloped deep into the forest, he could hardly just admit this fact. Like so many times before, the Warlock was forced to keep his knowledge a secret and play the role of an ignorant serving boy. Merlin had resigned himself to the fact that such 'acting' was an unfortunate necessity if Arthur was indeed to become the Once and Future King he was destined to be, but nevertheless, lying and deceiving his friend was not something he took pleasure in. Every untruth he told tore into his conscience like a stab from a semi blunt dagger and seemed to push further into the distance any chance there was of Arthur accepting him for what he truly was.

All it took was a few surreptitious uses of his magic and Merlin had 'pointed out' the trail quite clearly. A freshly broken branch here and there, a ripped piece of black fabric fluttering in the breeze as it lay snagged in a tree, some carefully placed hoof prints and at one stage, the far off echo of horse hooves thundering along a forest pathway.

Arthur's finely honed tracking skills missed none of Merlin's clues and soon enough they found themselves deep within the Valley of the Fallen Kings, very close to the location of Morgana's hide out.

Arthur brought them to an abrupt halt when he saw the horse Agravaine had ridden, tied to a fallen log which sat beside some large, moss covered rocks. The two dismounted and crept forward quietly on foot, Arthur drawing his sword a silently as he could.

...

Agravaine had burst through the small wooden door of Morgan's hovel a few minutes beforehand, panting and barely managing to contain his panic as he recounted the events of the evening.

"You useless fool!" the Lady Morgana screeched at him upon hearing how her carefully planned scheme had unravelled. "Must I do everything myself?!" Her eyes blazed with anger as she strode toward the older man and shoved him out the way of the door and peered out herself. "If the knights of Camelot have followed you here, I'll toss you to them myself!"

"I'm sorry my Lady. I did what I could but ..." Agravaine replied obsequiously. He had seen her fury before but it had never been directed towards him. The air around them seems to bristle with her contained fury and as she verbally berated him, the knight was afraid.

"You're pathetic! Why did I ever align with such a useless ..." the witch ranted, her usually pale cheeks flushing red. "Get out!"

"Morgana, this is not the end. It's merely a setback." Agravaine insisted hastily, his voice coming out more high pitched and pleading than he'd wanted. "We just have to bide our time, then we can try again. I will stay by your side until we have succeeded in getting you where you belong My Lady!" Agravaine edged toward his precious lady slowly, desperate to ingratiate himself again. A sudden image of his life without her appeared before him; a lonely, grey haired old man, his heart dry and shrivelled with only hurt and bitterness in the place of family.

Morgana looked him up and down, a disgusted expression forming on her face. She had, of course, been aware of his physical attraction to her since they first aligned and indeed, had played upon it often to ensure he carried out her wishes. Never had she returned these feelings however and the mere idea of him laying a finger upon her caused a shiver of abhorrence to creep along her spine.

"Do you think I valued you for anything other than your proximity to the King?" Morgana tossed her head arrogantly. "You were never more than a means to get me what I wanted Agravaine," She spat his name contemptuously. "You have outlived your usefulness and I have no further wish to have you around. Now get out of here before I kill you!"

Agravaine knew she was beyond reasoning; her face was so distorted by anger that any beauty she'd ever possessed was no longer visible. Her whole countenance was one of enmity and Agravaine felt himself quiver as she neared him, pointing at the door.

Without another word he turned to leave. Before he crossed the threshold, he swivelled back to face the dark haired witch, giving her one last longing look before he left.

...

Agravaine made straight for his mount, his head down as he attempted to quell the pain of rejection. His heavy black boots kicked aside numerous fallen leaves as he climbed the incline of the basin in which Morgana's hovel sat. As the brown, dried up foliage was propelled into the air only to fall again a short distance away, he could not help but liken his their fate to that of his own heart.

It was while he dwelt in this state of self pity that Arthur caught sight of him from where he and Merlin stood in an adjoining shallow. Merlin was close enough to hear his friends' choked back cry but before he had time to hold him back and convince him to wait for extra help to arrive, Arthur took off after the older man. With the stinging pain of betrayal burning in his veins, Arthur made no attempt to move quietly and within a few seconds Agravaine had heard him approaching. As the first few rays of dawn feebly lit up the thickly treed forest, Merlin watched as the two men finally faced each other, swords drawn for the confrontation that had seemed inevitable since not long after Lord Du Bois had arrived at Camelot.

Agravaine pursed his lips as he glared at his nephew. He should have known the hot headed youth would have trailed after him, regardless of the foolishness of such actions. Without Morgana's aid he knew there was no way he could defeat Arthur in a fair fight; however swords were not his only weapon. He'd experienced firsthand how the young King crumbled when his confidence was shattered. Agravaine sneered at the young man before him before he began speaking.

"Your father would be ashamed of you Arthur. Your insecurities and naivety made controlling you such a simple task!"

Arthur fought to stop the emotions threatening to consume him; his arms shook with the force of his anger and his vision had slightly blurred as moisture pooled in his eyes. Uther had taught him very early on how derisive sentimentality was to a man's ability to fight and although he knew his father was not correct in everything he sanctioned, in this instance Arthur knew it to be true.

"Shut up uncle!" Arthur retorted as steadily as he could.

"It was so easy to convince you to act against your convictions. Time and time again I watched as you let your people down with your lack of resolve. You're a weak man Arthur Pendragon and a weak man makes for a weak King!"

"Arthur, he's just trying to wind you up. Don't believe anything ..." Merlin started to call out but he was cut off abruptly.

"Stay out of this Merlin." Arthur told him firmly, eyes never once leaving those of his enemy. In truth, he appreciated Merlin's support and loyalty to him, but he needed to deal with Agravaine himself. He set his feet firmly on the ground and took a few steadying breaths before he dared address his traitorous relation directly.

"Why Uncle? That's what I don't understand." His brow furrowed unconsciously as he examined the man before him. "How could you be so desperate for power that you'd side with Morgana? After all she's done to bring Camelot to its knees? She is the reason why my father - your brother - ended up a broken man."

"Morgana and I share a similar goal Arthur; to avenge all the wrongs done to us by your father." Agravaine glowered at his nephew.

"My father did nothing to you Agravaine! What deed do you speak of?"

Agravaine laughed chillingly, his head bent back to expose his throat as he did so.

"So, Uther managed to keep the truth from you all this time." He spluttered. "Your life is built upon lies Arthur."

"What are you talking about? What lies do you speak of?" Arthur asked, his carefully constrained feelings almost breaking loose.

"Uther as good as killed your mother when he made a pact with the Sister's of the Old Religion. My beautiful, innocent sister's life was bartered for that of an heir."

The words seemed to float in the air like dust motes as Arthur considered the full implications of what his uncle said.

"That's not true Agravaine!" Arthur spoke determinedly, shaking his head minutely.

"I'm afraid it is Arthur. Ygraine was cast aside like so much rubbish in return for Camelot's future. You are a product of magic Arthur; the very thing you've been brought up to abhor!"

Arthur clenched his jaw muscles and kept his expression neutral as he glared back at his uncle.

"I don't believe anything you say anymore Uncle." Arthur retorted, doing his best to sound more convinced than he actually was. "Merlin and Gaius have pointed out to me the depth of your betrayal. I was wrong to think blood ties meant more than years of loyal service. I won't make that mistake again." Arthur continued more resolutely. He cursed himself silently for his previous displays of bad judgement, vowing to make up for it in the future.

Agravaine squinted at the younger, stronger man opposite him, impressed despite himself at this show of wisdom.

"You might as well drop your weapon Agravaine, there will be no escape. You will be taken back to Camelot and sentence will be passed." And as Agravaine had stated so bluntly less than eight candle marks ago, the sentence for treachery was death.

"I don't think so Arthur." Agravaine laughed evilly, his gaze shifting to a point several metres behind his nephew.

Merlin had been watching the confrontation closely, ready to do whatever was needed if Arthur's safety should become endangered. He had full confidence in the King's ability to defeat Agravaine with a sword but there was always the chance of something untoward happening. When the older man's face contorted into a smarmy grin and he changed the direction of his gaze to the ridge several metres behind Arthur, it seemed that the balance of the encounter had just shifted dramatically.

"Look what cat dragged in." The Lady Morgana sneered down at her half brother. "My dear, dear half brother all alone with no knights to protect him!" she continued arrogantly, a cruel smile etched on her face.

"Morgana." Arthur whispered as he spun around to take in the sight of his half sister, standing with her head held high and a crazy glint in her eye. She was dressed in a long black dress and with her dark hair hanging thickly, the pale oval of her face stood out dramatically.

"Well go on Agravaine, attack him. I want to see what you're made of." She teased, knowing full well that the man would do anything to please her. If nothing else, it would be a diverting piece of entertainment, not that she'd let it go on for too long; the task of dispatching Arthur Pendragon was one that she fully intended to complete herself.

"Go ahead Agravaine; I'll even things up a bit for you shall I?" Morgana smirked, her eyes flashing gold malevolently as she cast a silent spell of weakening upon her half brother.

Agravaine pressed forward as he was bid, a malicious grin upon his face. With Morgana's help, he quite fancied his chances and unlike the noble knights of Camelot he had no qualms about attacking a man whose strength had been diminished by artificial means.

Before Arthur had even redirected his full attention back upon his opponent, Agravaine made his first strike.

Merlin watched on aghast as the two men traded blows, knowing full well Morgana had rendered it almost impossible for Arthur to defend himself. The fluidity of movement and practiced ease Arthur normally possessed on the battle field was replaced by sluggish, clumsiness and such awkwardness that it was disturbing to witness.

Arthur flinched noticeably after failing to parry a right arm jab from Agravaine which connected with his ribs. Then before he could recover, Agravaine struck again, this time landing a strike to Arthur's right shoulder.

While Arthur continued to struggle, showing less skill and speed than one of the youngest squires of Camelot, Merlin realised he had to act now. His hatred for Morgana grew as he watched his proud, masterful friend reduced to a plaything, powerless and completely at her mercy; the similarities to her treatment of Lancelot resonating in his mind.

Merlin knew that if he could get Morgana's attention away from Arthur the spell would be interrupted for a few seconds or possibly broken completely, but how could he do so without attracting undue attention?

Less than a minute later the acrid smell of burning started to permeate the air and smoke began to drift toward the top of the ridge where Morgana stood, however the witches full attention remained on the fight below her.

"Morgana?" Merlin spoke quietly at first but increased his volume when it was clear he was being ignored. "Morgana, I think your house is on fire!" A vision of a multi-headed fomorrah withering in the heat and flames sprang into his head.

The witch turned around and looked back into the shallow basin where her hovel was, mouth open in surprise.

"What? That's not possible." She screamed in outrage before running down the slope to stand outside the blackening door of her pathetic little hide out, Merlin following a few metres behind.

"Who did this?!" she screamed irately, nostrils flaring. She felt no particular attachment to the place she'd called home for the past half year but the collection of magical items, manuscripts and other otherworldly paraphernalia she had inside, had taken considerable time and energy to amass.

Arthur recovered his faculties immediately upon the shifting of the witches focus and he wasted no time in making it count. In quick succession he landed numerous telling blows, pushing his uncle backwards steadily, away from the brow on which Morgana had appeared.

"I wonder how that happened?" Merlin asked cheekily. He was finding it harder and harder to contain his pent up anger as he thought about how callously his friends had been treated by the witch. It seemed she would never tire of attacking Arthur and Camelot, and as her methods grew more extreme, his thoughts returned to Kilgarrah's urging so many years before. "You must let the witch die young warlock!" the old dragon had told him after he'd decided to cure the head injury she suffered when propelled down the stairs by his own actions.

Morgana lifted her right hand and muttered an incantation to quell the heat and flames before turning to Merlin, still seething in anger.

"Shut up servant!" she hurled at him contemptuously. "Something as trivial as a little fire will not stop me from killing your precious Arthur. Now get out of my way!" Merlin had deliberately moved himself directly into her path and as she continued to glare at him, he returned her stare with just as much ferocity.

"I don't think so Morgana!" he spoke in an eerily low voice. All traces of the innocent, powerless youth that Morgana remembered from when she lived at Camelot were gone. The man standing before her now looked strong, determined and almost threatening. She giggled at the very idea of being afraid of Merlin then drew herself straighter and taller.

"Get out of my way or I'll throw you aside!"

Merlin tilted his head ever so slightly, one side of his mouth curving upward.

"I'd like to see you try."

**A/N: Bamf!Merlin is awesome but not cruel Merlin so I have to tread a fine line here! When he did away with Agravaine at the end of Series Four, it was so obvious that it truly hurt him to have to do so, regardless of how evil the guy was and that compassion is what makes the character so utterly loveable. (Well, it is an important part of it anyway.)  
**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N; I hope averyone is enjoying the epicness of Series 5. There is a definate difference in Merlin's role isn't there? I won't say anything more.  
**

**On to Chapter 12 of "A Debt of Honour"...**

When Merlin and Morgana vanished down into the next glade along, neither Arthur nor Agravaine saw them go. Agravaine was too busy fighting for his life by that stage and it was taking every ounce of his concentration to block his nephew's determined attacks. There was a steely coldness about Arthur as he fought and every move he made was executed with a precision and efficiency of motion expected from Camelot's best warrior.

The clang of metal upon metal continued to fill the air as Agravaine tried once again to weaken Arthur's resolve.

"Uther would turn in his grave if he could see what you've done to Camelot!" he puffed, bracing his sword with both hands to parry another of Arthur's brutal strikes. "Allowing common men to be knighted, dallying with a mere serving girl, not to mention your shameful about-face with Carleon."

Arthur clenched his jaws together, refusing to be baited. Instead he focussed on his fighting strategy, carefully working his Uncle toward a group of large, old oak trees.

"You are not fit to sit on the throne as Camelot's ruler!" Agravaine declared, the final few words bursting from his mouth as his back collided forcefully into a tree trunk. Sweat dripped down his face and he scrambled for his footing, raising his sword raised above his head as he fended off a high blow.

Arthur leaned all his weight forward, shoving his shoulder into his uncle's chest to pin him in place. The two ended up a mere hand width apart with arms and weapons entwined above their heads. Arthur glared furiously at the traitor.

"Shut up Uncle!" he hissed at him.

* * *

Morgana stared at the man before her, eyes squinting in consternation at this version of Merlin. A few months ago when she held him captive, Merlin had shown a toughness and antagonistic side she'd not known he possessed, and it seemed the stubborn fool was not going to go down without a fight this time either.

Morgana barely stifled a laugh at Merlin's show of rebellion.

"You can argue however much you want," she smiled artificially before turning her mouth into a sneer. "It won't do you any good. You're just a simple serving boy. What do you plan to do against a witch of my prowess?"

Merlin's anger simmered and he struggled to control the thrum of magic that was building and coiling within his body.

"You have treated my friends with contempt Morgana; as though they were nothing but 'things' to be used and then tossed aside after you'd gotten what you wanted from them." Merlin's voice trembled as he thought of Lancelot's defilement; how the virtuous, brave knight had been turned into a sickening, vacuous imitation of his former self. How Guinevere's will had been taken away; her reputation sullied and cheapened. Morgana would not have blinked an eye if the girl who had been her closest friend for so many years had paid with her life.

"I will never let you hurt Arthur or any of my friends again Morgana!" Merlin roared, his voice taking on the cadence and depth he used only when summoning Kilgarrah.

Morgana took a slight step back at the unexpected ferocity and power laden timbre of Merlin's voice and when his eyes suddenly flared gold her shock new no bounds. Morgana flew through the air at his silent incantation and before she had time to breath, she lay stunned and bruised up against a large boulder. A single overwhelming fact pushed all other thoughts from her mind; Merlin has magic!

* * *

"I should kill you now Uncle!" Arthur spat, twitching in anger and disgust. "Tell me one reason why I should not cut your throat right here!" His hands shook with the continued effort of holding Agravaine in place and with keeping himself from delivering the final blow.

Arthur searched the depths of his uncle's black eyes for any sign of remorse or regret but could see only hatred and condescension in the returned stare. A silence filled the glade around them and the soft morning sunlight shimmered like a pale gold curtain of beads. The beauty and peacefulness of the scene contrasting dramatically with the violence and pain going on within it.

After a few moments, Agravaine began struggling again and when Arthur finally let off some pressure, he pulled out of the stronghold and backed away a few metres, warily keeping his eyes on the younger man.

Arthur still held his sword at the ready but was content to give Agravaine some room.

"You can't do it can you!" Agravaine sneered at him. "And you call yourself a leader of men."

Despite his best efforts, the cruel, taunting words managed to cut into Arthur's resolve. He fought to ignore the doubts swirling in his head, clenching and unclenching at the hilt of his sword. Although loathe to admit it, what he needed right now was a little help from a person who truly believed in him; Merlin. The servant was always there when Arthur was pushed to the limits of his endurance and somehow knew exactly what to say to help him regather his determination to succeed. Merlin's steadfast belief in his capability to be a great King was a force in itself and Arthur realised it was something he would never again take for granted.

* * *

It was at about this time that Sir's Percival, Gwaine and the party of reinforcements reached the area. Fortunately, Gwaine had merely been stunned by the horse's flight and when he realised what danger Merlin and Arthur had placed themselves into, he recovered his senses rapidly enough to allow him to join Percival.

When they spotted the horses, Percival ordered the men to fan out so they could pinpoint their Kings' location. They knew an enraged and desperate Agravaine was out here somewhere and it seemed highly likely that Morgana's hide out would be the location he'd led them too. Although their first duty was to protect Arthur, both Gwaine and Percival were mindful that Merlin too could be in some danger.

"Keep a sharp eye out men." Percival ordered quietly, "Agravaine has killed before and won't hesitate to do so again."

"What about the Lady Morgana?" a wide eyed young knight asked.

Percival and Gwaine looked at each other then Gwaine turned back to the troops, who had stopped to listen before taking up their search positions.

"Yeah, it's likely she's around here someplace." He answered calmly. "But it's our duty to protect Arthur."

* * *

Morgana dragged herself to her feet, wincing at the battering her back had taken when she impacted the hard stone. The discovery she had just made over-rode any of the trifling pain however.

"You have magic!" she stammered, still struggling to take it in. "You're a sorcerer!"

"I was born with magic Morgana." Merlin replied, walking toward her defiantly.

"And yet you've been at Arthur's side all this time; the very thing he despises!" She glared at him with hate filled eyes. Then as she processed the knowledge further, her expression changed to one of sinister glee. "He doesn't know does he? You've been lying to him haven't you?"

Merlin face hardened in response to hearing the blunt truth spoken out aloud. He'd only ever acted for Arthur and Camelot's favour but the weight his continuous deceit sat heavily upon his shoulders.

"Why would you stand alongside Arthur when he does everything he can to wipe our kind from the face of the earth? He's carrying out the genocide of magic users that his father began!"

"That's not true Morgana. Arthur is not his father. He doesn't go out of his way to hunt down and harm sorcerers; he defends himself and his people if he is attacked by them, as would any good king." "He needs a chance to learn the truth Morgana. All his life he's only ever seen magic used for evil purposes. Is it any wonder he does not trust it?"

"And you're going to change that are you?"

"I'm trying to. Yeah."

"Well, I'm sorry you wasted your time! _Hleap an bæc_!" Morgana shouted the spell savagely, tossing her head minutely to direct the blast of energy which sent Merlin several metres into the air before he slammed down into the ground, sending leaf litter flying into every direction. For a few moments he laid still, his head throbbing and spinning crazily. When he finally regained the ability to think coherently, Morgana was standing over him, her iris' just beginning to flare gold again as she began to incant, her right arm stretched toward him.

"_Gebleote gæsteppan_ ..."

The words sent alarm bells ringing somewhere in his brain and when he felt his throat start to close, he fought back instinctively.

"_Åstrìce_." He could not manage more than a throaty mumble but it seemed to be enough to combat the attack and as Morgana was propelled away from him, Merlin sucked in the cold, beautiful air gratefully.

When he dragged himself to his feet a few minutes later he looked around anxiously for Morgana but couldn't see her anywhere. Wandering if she had been injured during their tussle and managed to drag herself a bit further away, Merlin widened his search area. All of a sudden, a familiar voice sounded to his left.

"Merlin!" Gwaine called as he ran towards his friend, Percival not far behind. "Where's Arthur? Are you alright?"

"Ahhh, he's in the next glade." Merlin answered, nodding to where he'd last seen Arthur fighting Agravaine. "What about you? The last time a saw you, you'd just been flattened by a horse."

"He was just stunned. Must have a hard head." Percival commented, receiving a jab in the ribs from Gwaine in response.

"Arthur and Agravaine were fighting. Then Morgana turned up and ... well I was just ... trying to keep her away from them."

Gwaine exchanged an exasperated look with Percival before addressing Merlin. "Merlin, why do you always think it's your job to protect Arthur? No offence, but that's what the knights are for."

"Yeah I know, I'm just a servant."

"No, that's not what he meant." Percival interceded. "You're not 'just' anything Merlin. What Gwaine means to say is that we are better equipped to deal with threats like Morgana."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that!" Morgana yelled contemptuously as she stepped out from behind a rocky outcrop, causing Gwaine and Percival to draw their weapons in response.

"Haven't you got it through your thick heads by now that weapons have no power against me! Ecg misse!"Morgana threw her right hand in the air toward them as she incanted, pulling both knights' swords out of their grips and sending them flying many metres away into the undergrowth.

Merlin moved protectively to stand in front of his companions, glaring at Morgana as he did so.

"And what are you going to do about it Merlin?" she sniggered. "Unless you want to give away your big secret, you cannot do a thing!" Morgana smiled triumphantly.

"What's she going on about?" Gwaine frowned quizzically.

Merlin took a deep breath then stood as tall as he could before his nemesis. "Do you really think I'd let you hurt my friends?" His mouth was set in a straight line and his eyes simmered with restrained power and intent.

Morgana inclined her head to the side before answering. "I guess we'll see won't we!" She teased him threateningly.

* * *

Arthur steadied himself as he thought of all the times Merlin had showed faith in his ability to be a good King; the type of King the people of Camelot would both love and respect. Even when he was a young Prince, Arthur realised he did not agree with Uther's hard line stance and as time passed he found himself questioning more and more of his attitudes. Arthur's love for his father would never fade but that didn't mean he would be his replica and if Agravaine, or anyone else for that matter, thought this made him less of a man, then that was their error. Merlin would tell him that he was a better man for displaying compassion and understanding; so too would Guinevere.

These few moments of reflection help Arthur solidify his convictions.

"Uncle, I will give you this final chance to lay down your weapon and return to Camelot for a fair trial."

Agravaine snorted. "And if I refuse?"

"Then I will do my utmost to defeat you - here and now." Arthur replied, stern faced but confident in his decision.

Agravaine stared back smugly, his top lip curled up into a slight snarl; he had no intention of surrendering.

"So be it then." The King replied sombrely, resigned to the inevitable.

Arthur wasted no time as he began to reign down strikes upon his older opponent. He clearly had the measure of his uncle by now and knew every likely move and attack he would make. Agravaine managed to deliver a few strikes of his own but nothing telling and soon he was panting and sweating with the effort. He managed to avoid a deft blow directed at his left side but not the sharp outward swing to the right that quickly followed, crashing into his sword arm and almost knocking the sword from his hand.

When Agravaine backed out of Arthur's reach and began circling to his right, Arthur watched him closely for an opening to attack again and it did not take long. He saw his chance as he parried a series of feeble, predictable strikes. Agravaine had left his mid section open and it took only a split second for Arthur to deliver the telling blow. Their eyes met as the steel of Arthur's sword plunged into Agravaine's stomach with a sickening squelch.

"It didn't have to be this way." Arthur stammered with tear filled his eyes, his body braced to hold up Agravaine's entire body weight. Although he knew without a shred of doubt that his actions were entirely warranted, it still made him feel sick to his stomach. As his uncle's blood spilled down the front of his black tunic and soaked into the ground Arthur witnessed the sparkle of life leave his eyes to be replaced by the blank soulless stare of the dead.

**A/N; I wanted these scenes to be full of energy and life so moved the action around a little. I hope that switching between Arthur V Agravaine and Merlin V Morgana did not seem too choppy. ?  
So, Agravaine is dead - i think it is poetic justice that Arthur did the deed. Afterall he was his blood relative.  
Merlin hasn't quite finished with Morgana yet.  
The spells are from Merlin Wiki except the one where Morgana tries to asphyxiate Merlin when I used an online Old English to Modern English translator. **


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: First of all it is my duty as an Australian to thank Tom Hoper for making the long trip here to attend Supanova in Brisbane and Adelaide.** **There was a gorgeous little interview of him on tv where he asked all the fans to come and meet him. Then he said 'I'll even give you a hug - if you want one!"  
****Lots of magic in this chapter. As usual the spells are taken from Merlin Wiki or are my attempts at translating Old English words into modern English using an online translator.**

Merlin readied himself for the assault he knew was coming and despite the life threatening danger, he felt more than ready to face whatever his nemesis threw at him.

With her dark hair trailing wildly about the pale moon of her face and her eyes filled with hatred, Morgana glared at Merlin and the two knights half hidden behind him for a few seconds before snarling out her first incantation.

"_Ætslide bencpel_!" She shouted arrogantly, directing her narrowed gaze to the side.

Merlin swivelled to his left as a boulder the size of a small cow was propelled straight toward Gwaine and Percival, followed almost immediately by another one from directly behind them. Time seem to stop as he weighed up what was going to happen and although he feared his friends' reaction to knowing he had lied to them for so long, Merlin knew he had no choice but to act.

Throwing up his right arm and holding his palm outward toward the oncoming boulder he sounded out a spell.

"_Forbærne! Ácwele!"_ As his eyes turned a molten gold colour, a fireball blasted into the rock and reduced it to smithereens. He then rapidly turned his arm a further 90 degrees to the right, repeating the same treatment for the second boulder.

The dust filling the air around the trio caused them all to cough repeatedly. It was not thick enough to protect Merlin from the fearful stares of Gwaine and Percival though.

"I'm sorry." _Cough._ "Please don't hate me." _Cough._ He stammered desperately.

"Not exactly the helpless servant he had us all believing, is he?" Morgana asked spitefully, preventing any further explanations. "What about this then Merlin!"

As she spoke, Merlin saw the green of her eyes change to gold and without seeming to incanting any words of the Old Religion, a pack of slavering wolves came creeping out of the hazy depths of the forest. The alpha male gave a short howl before he led the pack toward their prey. The six wolves spread apart, circling ominously, eyeing off their targets and slavering ferociously. As the last of the dust finally settled to the earth, Merlin, Gwaine and Percival recoiled in terror as the eerie red light emanating from the creatures eyes suddenly became visible.

"Bloody hell!" Percival swore. Both he and Gwaine felt sickeningly vulnerable without their swords and even though Percival had the biggest muscles in Camelot, they weren't much of a match for wolves - and they weren't just mortal wolves either. The beasts before them were clearly creations of magic and Merlin heard Morgana's creepy shouts of encouragement in the background as he, Gwaine and Percival backed into a small circle.

"Merlin!" Gwaine shaky voice began. "We'll discuss the whole 'I'm a sorcerer' thing later but right now, for the love of Camelot, please use whatever power you've got!"

Merlin glanced sideways at his friend, receiving a small grin of encouragement. The delight he felt at Gwaine's positive reaction spurred him on and with a quick nod of agreement he set about his task.

"_Forp fleoge_!" The Warlock shouted, directing a strong wave of magic outwards from where he stood. The resultant blast was visible as a sort of golden shimmering in the air and as it slammed into the gathering pack of wolves it hurtled each of them through the air violently. One beast impacted brutally with a tree then fell to the ground in a broken heap, another hit the ground with an ear piercing howl, rolled then limped off feebly into the forest, yet another hit the ground right at Morgana's feet then propelled both her and itself into the trunk of a large oak tree as it skidded along the ground.

"Run!" Merlin urged Percival and Gwaine when he saw the opening provided by Morgana's abeyance. The two knights took off up the incline at the point furtherest possible from the witch but when Percival realised Merlin was not following, he grabbed Gwaine's arm and the two turned back.

"Merlin, come on!" he beckoned.

Merlin had turned to face his friends and although his eyes were wide and scared, his entire posture conveyed a rock strong resolve to stay and see the fight through to its conclusion

"No." Merlin shook his head, "You two go on. I have to ..." he glanced back at the fallen Morgana before facing Gwaine again, "I have to do what I should have done a long time ago."

Percival was all ready to go and drag Merlin away; he'd sling him over his shoulder if he had to but when Gwaine started speaking he held himself back.

"Are you sure?" Gwaine asked, brow furrowed in anxiety.

"Yeah. It's better if I do this alone." Merlin urged, eager to get them out of harms' way. "Please, get out of here. Find Arthur!"

Gwaine searched his friend's eyes for evidence that Merlin truly meant what he said; refusing to be fobbed off by platitudes, no matter how well meaning. If Merlin needed him he'd stay and help whatever the risk to himself. The committed and confident gaze that was returned must have been enough to convince him however and after a few seconds Gwaine acknowledged Merlin's decision with a sigh and a nod.

"Come on Percy, we better do what the sorcerer says. Merlin can look after himself. Can't you mate?"

Percival's gaze moved from Gwaine to Merlin. He was still unconvinced and his disconcerted expression spoke volumes.

"Arthur needs you more than I do." Merlin added upon noticing the large knights' indecision. Thinking back, Merlin had survived numerous situations before where by all rights he shouldn't have, so perhaps he was being overly worrisome. What's more, the young man clearly wished to deal with Morgana on his own and he had to admit, the skinny servant was better equipped for that task than either of them.

Finally Percival relented and the two headed off into the forest.

* * *

Arthur pulled himself free of Agraviane's dead weight but managed only a few steps before he slumped to the ground, flinging his sword out to his side. He stared back at what he'd done trying to contain his nausea.

He'd killed men before obviously and sometimes there'd been a lot more blood and gore than this, but never before had he dispatched a close relative.

He looked down at his hands and noticing the blood upon them, wiped it off as best he could using leaf litter. There was blood on his chainmail too but he could do nothing about that for the moment. In amongst all the turmoil he found himself thinking about how Merlin would have quite a cleaning job when they got back to Camelot. The image of something so 'normal' as a griping Merlin soothed Arthur's frail nerves markedly.

When his legs had stopped trembling enough to stand again, Arthur dragged himself upright and it was at this time that the searching knights came upon him.

"Sire!" Sir Boris called as he emerged from a copse of trees, taking in the scene before him.

Arthur wiped his face with the back of a hand and did his best to summon his Kingly dignity.

"Have your men transport," Arthur swallowed, "the traitor's body back to Camelot."

"Yes Sire."

"Have you come across Merlin yet?" Arthur enquired.

"Your man servant Sire? No, we thought he'd be with you." Boris answered casually.

* * *

"Well. I wasn't expecting that." Gwaine mumbled mostly to himself as he and Percival fled.

Percival looked at his friend with raised eyebrows, "Do you think anybody knows, apart from us I mean?"

Gwaine furrowed his brow in thought before replying. "Gaius maybe. Definitely not Arthur."

"No." Percival concurred thinking about all the occasions he'd heard his King speak unfavourably about magic users.

"How he's managed to keep a secret like that for so long I cannot imagine." Gwaine exclaimed. "I always thought he had hidden talents, but ... Nothing like this," he finished with a snort of astonishment.

Percival shook his head, still reeling with the discovery. He supposed this was the time when they were meant to condemn Merlin for being evil but no matter how hard he tried, Percival could not imagine the compassionate, innocent youth as having any motive other than to assist and support Arthur.

He remembered back to the first time Lancelot had spoken to him about Merlin. They had just received word from him that Camelot was under attack and Lancelot had dropped everything to go to his friend's aid. Percival recalled the faraway look in Lancelot's eye when he described how brave and self sacrificing Merlin was; how he was Arthur's most effective protector. Until now, he could never quite pin point what he was going on about.

Since then he'd witnessed with his own eyes Merlin risk his neck to save Arthur on several occasions. Never did it occur to him that the guy had magic though!

Gwaine too could not get the amazing discovery out of his mind. Before he came to Camelot he had no set ideas about magic. Since arriving in Camelot he'd only seen it used to hurt people and wreak havoc so had, understandably, become inclined to agree with the wide held negative opinion. Gwaine stopped and looked upward, as though suddenly seeing things in a new light. Merlin was in no way, shape or form anything approaching evil - even if he was a sorcerer.

Of course that did not undo the fact that Merlin must have been doing some serious evading and/or concealing of the truth for the past god knows how long and although he knew it was petty, Gwaine was hurt by his friend's inability or unwillingness to confide I'm him.

* * *

Morgana sat up wincing and rubbing at the back of her head where she's slammed into the tree. By the time she'd regained her faculties and memory of what brought her to that state, Merlin was standing right beside, pinning her in place with his forthright glare.

"You!" She sneered murderously at him. "How dare you!"

Merlin was clenching his fists in an effort to stay in control of the magic he could feel writhing and surging in his veins. All the cruelty and horror the witch had tormented Arthur, Gwen, Gaius, the knights and anyone else he loved, fuelled his feelings as he stared down at her. There was a quality within Merlin that would always be dominant over his emotions of rage and hatred however; his compassion. Unknowingly, he mirrored Arthur's intentions to Agravaine as he gave Morgana one last chance to submit.

"Morgana, I implore you to leave Camelot; to leave Arthur at peace. You claim to fight for justice and equality for all magic users but you've caused as much heart ache to the innocent of this land as Uther ever did. Let Arthur be the King he was meant to be. Let him lead Camelot into a new age of understanding and equality!"

Morgana peered at him darkly, rising shakily to her feet as he spoke, then burst into reams of cackling laughter.

"That's probably the most pathetic speech I've ever heard!" She snarled, ceasing her laughter for a second. "My brother," she curled the word around her mouth hatefully, "My brother does not deserve to be King. And I will not let you or anyone else stand in my way!"

A shadow seemed to pass across Merlin's face as he took in her words. The decision of how to act had been taken out of his hands and as much as he loathed using his powers to injure and extinguish life that was exactly what he had to do.

"_Tócínan moldweg forsweolgan helrŷnege_!" Merlin shouted hoarsely, his eyes glowing ominously as he chanted.

Morgana was taken off guard with the sheer strength unleashed by Merlin's spell and, still somewhat shaken, she grabbed for the tree beside her as the ground began to rumble and shake. Branches fell from the trees and boulders were sent tumbling as the magnitude of the tremor increased and a bone deep roaring sound filled the air. Merlin backed away from the immediate area, enchanting another spell to increase the scale of the earthquake directly around Morgana so she could not escape.

As the very ground tried to tear itself apart Morgana was wrenched away from the tree trunk she clung too and thrown to the ground. She began to enchant her own spell but the upheaval going on all around her threw her concentration off; the incessant convulsions and tremors blotting out everything else in her reality. Suddenly the forces became too much for Mother Nature and a crevice appeared in the forest floor some 5 metres away from where the witch lay. Merlin watched on from a safe distance as the split in the ground widened, heading straight in Morgana's direction. Up till now he'd supposed that Morgana's demise would feel like some sort of victory but in reality he felt no euphoria at all. It gave him no pleasure to see the fear on her face and the knowledge that he was the cause of this destruction sickened him to his stomach.

"I'm sorry Morgana." He whispered as the gaping maw in the earth reached for her.

Morgana screamed as she felt the earth give way beneath her and although she desperately scrabbled for a handhold, the soft earth provided no firm purchase and she felt herself falling.

Merlin swallowed thickly as he watched her demise, a film of tears blurring his vision. He saw the ground come together again as the earthquake finally quelled and as the forest floor resettled there was no sign left of Morgana remaining.

Merlin dropped to his knees in exhaustion and shock. All his memories of how she used to be flashed across his mind.; an angry Morgana bravely confronting Uther and letting him know how cruel he was, Morgana taunting Arthur to stand up and do what he felt in his heart was right, her protection of the Druid boy, the risk she took when helping him and the residents of Ealdor fight off Kanen's bandits, how she'd given up her own food to give to the poor during the famine.

Merlin held his head in his hands as a tangle of emotions overwhelmed him and as everything spun away from him, he tried to focus on the one thing that was paramount in his existence; Arthur's safety. Every action and every decision he made was based on that idiom and even though all he felt at the moment was bone crushing despair, he knew what he had done was right. His future and Camelot's future depended on Arthur's safety and as his tears ebbed and he managed to get control of himself again, Merlin's conviction that his struggles were worthwhile and that the future would be its own reward, reasserted themselves.

* * *

Meanwhile, as Merlin was caught up in his own thoughts, a narrow beam of bluish white light silently burst from the earth where Morgana had been swallowed and flashed upward into the air before it vanished from view into the forest canopy...

**A/N: Much like Merlin I thought i would really get satisfaction from 'doing in' Morgana. Actually it felt a bit sad and kind of wrong - a lot like some of the stuff happening in Season 5 come to think of it!  
There will be more of Gwaine and Percy's views regarding Merlin's big secret in the next chapter but i think there needed to be some sort of immediate decision made by them in this chapter. ****  
The spell Merlin used to start the earthquake was a very bad translation of 'open the earth and swallow the witch' or similiar.  
What happened with Morgana in the last paragraph is up to the reader's interpretation.****  
**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N; Once again, sorry it has taken so long to update. I am now on a few weeks break before the Christmas demands begin, so should get more time to write now!  
Reading transcripts of numerous cast interviews has, no doubt, inspired some of the things I cover in this chapter. Thank you to Mediatrix for giving me an idea too.**

The rest of the morning went by in a haze of mixed emotions for Arthur. He could recall Sirs' Percival and Gwaine reporting to him that Merlin had managed to destroy Morgana's hovel and then some time later, the errant servant himself turned up looking every bit as shattered as Arthur felt. Upon questioning the young man as to where he'd been for the past few hours, all he received was a vague platitude about 'doing his duty'. The accompanying half hearted grin was clearly artificial and was in direct opposition to the distress that was obvious in Merlin's deep blue eyes.

When Arthur examined his friend further, he noticed more signs of stress; the fine lines of anxiety around his features, the tightly clenched jaws and his usual full lips pulled into a straight line.

Sitting himself down beside where an exhausted Merlin had dropped, the King decided to pursue the matter further. In truth, the absence of his servant's usual cheery, optimistic demeanour was quite worrying.

"You look wrecked Merlin." Arthur commented, perhaps more bluntly than he'd meant to.

In reply, he received only a small, tired shrug.

"Gwaine and Percy told me you burnt down Morgana's hide out." Arthur continued, attempting to draw Merlin out of his slump. "You didn't happen upon the lady herself I suppose?"

Merlin scraped at the dirt at his feet before answering. "Percival and Gwaine didn't tell you then?"

"Tell me what Merlin? They made no mention of her."

Merlin looked up, searching the assembled group of guards and knights for the two men who now knew of his deepest secret. Percival was sharing some berries with a younger knight some several yards away and was otherwise occupied. Panning around, he finally spotted Gwaine over near the horses and when he noticed Merlin looking his way, he gave him a toothy smile and nodded his head reassuringly.

Merlin stared back at Gwaine and returned his gesture. A beam of sunlight broke through the foliage and illuminated the young warlock as the realisation hit home that not only were his friends willing to accept him but they were going to keep his secret too. He stifled a laugh at his own lack of thinking - he must be more tired than he realised. After all, if Gwaine or Percy had reported what they'd seen to Arthur, he'd hardly have been allowed to enter the campsite so freely.

"Well, it's like this." Merlin inhaled deeply and braced himself for yet another lie. "I thought I saw her but... I couldn't be sure. There was a lady dressed all in black and she was riding away Sire. I tried to follow her but lost the trail."

"So that's why there's been neither hair nor hide of you since dawn then."

Merlin nodded, going along with the lie. "I mentioned it to Gwaine and Percival but perhaps they didn't think it worth mentioning."

Arthur grunted. An explanation for Merlin's distress suddenly occurred to him. "You thought it was your duty to try and stop her didn't you? And she got away."

Merlin glanced sideways before he finally answered.

"Something like that Sire."

The two sat in silence for a few minutes, Merlin picking at the ground with a sharp stick he'd picked up. The desire to tell Arthur the truth screamed within him, desperate to get out into the light of day. He was so sick and tired of all the lies and stories; the whirlpool of untruths that he had to keep bottled up grew constantly, threatening to overflow and spill its unhealthy toxins into his entire being. He wanted to shout that Morgana was gone; that he, a weak, skinny, serving boy had vanquished their greatest and worst enemy. And that he'd done it all for you Arthur, so you can be the Once and Future King you are destined to be!

Instead he stayed quiet, taking out his frustration by snapping the stick he held in two, then throwing it as far as he could.

"Merlin," Arthur began. "Nobody could have stopped her. Not even my best knights. Don't blame yourself - there'll be another chance."

Merlin could only sigh. He appreciated Arthur's consideration of his feelings, even if he was well off the mark.

As the memory of Morgana's fear filled face and the sound of her dying screams swamped his mind once again, Merlin's thoughts turned to what Arthur had endured this morning.

"I'm sorry for what you had to do Arthur." He had been informed of the nature of Agravaine's demise as soon as he returned and although nobody could question Arthur's strength or bravery, Merlin knew how much the grisly duty must have cost him. It seems their mornings had held some uncanny similarities.

"He was your closest relative and no matter what he did to Camelot, it can't have been easy."

Now it was Arthur's turn to squirm under the scrutiny of his best friend.

"I had no choice Merlin. There was nothing else to be done." Arthur spoke as steadily as he could, but felt dangerously close to losing control of his emotions. He cleared his throat before continuing. "When we get back to Camelot, I want you to tell me everything you know about my Uncle's treasonous behaviour. Not straight away of course, we both need to rest first."

"Plus the small matter of a wedding Sire." Merlin added cheekily, some of the colour finally returning to his cheeks.

Arthur's mouth whirled up at one side. "Indeed Merlin, indeed."

* * *

After an unpleasant but necessary debriefing with Merlin, Gaius and his closest knights, Arthur dismissed Gwaine and Percival from duties for the rest of the day. Merlin and his guardian set off for their chambers wearily while Elyan and Leon were left to fulfil a few more important duties.

Elyan made the unpleasant but necessary arrangements regarding delivery of Agravaine's remains back to Castle Du Bois while Sir Leon prepared a short statement to be delivered by courier to all the houses of nobility throughout Camelot. It also fell upon him to update and inform the members of the High Council

The initial reports, prepared in collaboration with the King, regarding the events that occurred that fateful night were, although truthful, not entirely forthcoming. Lord Agravaine's betrayal was undeniable of course but until matters could be investigated further, Arthur declined to elaborate on the nature of Sir Lancelot or his future wife's involvement, other than to attain to their innocence. Given that magic was at the forefront of proceedings, Arthur was a little worried about how some of the more traditional thinking men would react and he knew he'd have to have his facts straight before he spoke with them.

A two day postponement of the wedding had been decided upon and announced to the Kingdom. The official reason had been 'unforeseeable and treasonous interference'. In the absence of more information, many rumours began to circulate and as they often do, took on a life of their own. If he had been privy to them, Arthur would have been heartened to hear his people's wide-held disbelief that Guinevere could be involved in any ill doing and as news of Lord Agravaine's disappearance spread, more and more people concluded that he must have been the guilty party. It turned out that he was not highly thought of at all amongst the populace and over the course of the day many individuals relayed their personal tales of his cruel treatment or conniving behaviour. Numerous servants from the castle had been assaulted or ill treated, a tavern keeper in the Lower Town was paying protection money and a host of stable boys told how they'd been physically threatened (and beaten in two cases) into staying quiet about the many night time trips Agravaine made.

* * *

The boat Lancelot lay in was a simple, wooden fishing dingy. It had outlived its usefulness to the local fisherman some time ago, having been repaired and patched up so often there was very little of the original structure left. The structure was now so rotted that it wouldn't have floated without Merlin's special 'help'. Merlin, Gwaine and Percival had covered the base of the boat in soft, green foliage picked freshly that morning and swathes of flowers in red, purple and white surrounded the still, pale body within. As Merlin studied the Shade before him, he hoped fervently that the real Lancelot's memory would not be tainted by recent events.

Last time Merlin had said farewell to a loved one at this mountainside lake, he'd been despairingly and utterly alone. And as bad as he felt now, it gave him immeasurable comfort to have friends here with him now; friends whom he knew shared the grief he felt, squeezing at his heart and threatening to bring him undone. Even though they all knew it wasn't the man who'd walked through the torn veil on the Isle of the Blessed so long ago, it was a second, unmissable chance to say goodbye and the real Lancelot deserved this much dignity and honour.

The three of them stood quietly at the lakeside, all lost in their own reminiscences of times shared with the real Lancelot and of all he'd done for the good of Camelot.

"He knew about you didn't he?" Percival interrupted the silence.

Merlin turned abruptly to look at the tall knight. "Why do you say that?"

Percival shrugged. "Well, thinking back, I remember some things he said about you that didn't quite make sense. And the way you and him used to stay apart from the rest of us, talking so nobody else could hear."

Merlin stared at his two friends in surprise, not sure what to say.

"It's alright Merlin. There's no need to look like a deer in Arthur's cross bow sights. Just... well, why did you tell him and nobody else?" Gwaine asked, careful to keep any self pity out of his voice.

"I didn't. He saw me when I enchanted a lance." Merlin could think of only three people who he'd deliberately told about his magic and only one of them was still living (as far as he knew anyway). "That's how I knew, beyond a doubt, that it wasn't the real Lancelot; because he had no notion of me being anything other than normal."

"Normal ah?" Gwaine snorted, "Nobody could accuse you of that my friend!" He smiled, trying to loosen the tense atmosphere a little.

"What about Arthur Merlin? Would you ever tell him?" Percival asked after a moment's silence. "I can understand why you haven't but you must have to hide so much."

Merlin clenched his jaws before steadying himself to reply. "Lying to Arthur is not something I want to do believe me; every time I mislead him or make up some stupid cover story I feel ... dirty, unfaithful. I see part of myself in what Agravaine did to him and it terrifies me!"

Gwaine's heart hurt as he listened to the young man's words. "No Merlin, don't say that!" He replied forcefully, gripping Merlin's upper arms with his hands. "You are absolutely nothing like that ...that slimy, back stabbing bastard! You are the loyalist, most caring person I know and Arthur doesn't know how lucky he is!"

"But I lie to him Gwaine - all the time! How can that be right?" Merlin searched the knights' eyes, his voice pleading for comfort.

"You have to Merlin. You would have been executed long ago if the truth was known. Surely you realise that!" Gwaine continued to hold Merlin's arms and his demeanour was as resolute and as serious as either Merlin or Percival had ever witnessed.

"Yeah I know. That's what Gaius says." Merlin pulled out of Gwaine's hold and turned away. "But it still seems wrong," he added pensively.

"Uther would have condemned you in a heartbeat." The knight carried on, unwilling to let his young friend persist in this guilty feeling any longer. "Percival, you never saw Uther in full flight did you? Well, once riled up, there was no stopping him." Gwaine knew this from personal experience. Even Arthur's good word had done nothing to halt Uther's mind when he'd decided that Gwaine was in the wrong.

"What about Arthur though? Surely he knows he can trust you Merlin? You've been by his side for so long and he's never had reason to doubt your commitment to Camelot before." Percival began. "The longer things go on without him knowing the truth, the harder it will be when he does find out surely?"

"I know Percival, I know. But he's just gone through a betrayal. I'm not sure how he'd cope right now." Merlin looked up into the large knight's eyes.

Percival's furrowed brow relaxed as he took in Merlin's words. "Mmmmmm. Would be bad timing wouldn't it." He conceded quietly.

"Look," Gwaine caught both men's gazes. "First and foremost, Merlin has to worry about his safety. When Arthur's in a better place to accept this sort of thing, Merlin will tell him. But for now, it's probably better to keep it between us. Okay?"

"Well," Percival shrugged, "I won't be saying anything Merlin, not till you're ready."

"And if you need somebody to help share your load, well, you've got us now haven't you?" Gwaine gave one of his most alluring smiles as he spoke.

Merlin swallowed the lump in his throat, doing his best not to let the overwhelming feelings of

gratitude and happiness show themselves. Tears filled his eyes none the less and not trusting himself to verbalised the surge of emotions that he was experiencing, he settled on the brightest smile he could manage.

"Right, that's settled then. Now let's get on with what we came here for." It was up to Gwaine once again to break the tension and he gave his compatriots a pat on the back before he moved off to the water's edge, surreptitiously wiping his eyes as he did so.

Five minutes later, all was ready to push Lancelot's vessel out into the water for his final journey to Avalon.

"Wait!" Merlin called, just as the knights prepared to launch. "We can't send him away like this. He deserves to be restored to the man he truly was, not left to drift as a creation of dark magic. Do you mind if I try something?"

The knights looked at each other before Percival answered. "You mean magic?"

Merlin nodded back, to which the knights took a step back, indicating their acceptance.

The young Warlock takes a deep breath then places a hand to Lancelot's forehead.

"Grid fæstne mid pisse tintregian sawle!" he chants, eyes glowing gold as the magic flows through him.

Suddenly, Lancelot inhales briefly and opens his eyes. Merlin sees not the empty, soulless eyes of the Shade but the deep brown, thoughtful, compassion filled eyes he remembers so well.

A shocked Lancelot moves his gaze toward the two knights then focuses back on Merlin.

"Thank you," he smiles kindly up at his confidante, before closing his eyes for the last time. Unlike before Merlin had cast his spell, the Lancelot before them now is at peace; wrapped in a shroud of gentle contentment, ready to leave this mortal coil a fulfilled man.

Merlin struggles to comprehend what he has just witnesses but it is Percival who speaks aloud what all clearly saw.

"You gave him back his soul Merlin. He's free now to go isn't he? Toward Avalon and eternal rest."

The moment is bittersweet for Merlin. He has given his friend a gift beyond meaning; restored his soul and his honour but still, it is time for final farewells.

Merlin raises his right arm and sends the boat out toward the middle of the lake with a silent incantation. With Gwaine on one side and Percival on the other, he casts another spell to set the vessel alight and together, they watch as the flames reach skyward and Lancelot passes from this world to the next.

**A/N: Why Merlin has lied for soooooo long and how he feels about doing this, is a very important part of the show to me. How does Merlin ever expect Arthur to accept him after finding out about all these lies and the bullsh..t he has been fed? Was Gwaine's defence of Merlin's behaviour creditable? Merlin must feel like he is betraying Arthur in some sense - i think his control over Arthur and how much he lets him know/not know about what's happening, crosses the line sometimes.  
As far as I can see, Series 5 is not getting us any closer to a point where Arthur will be ready to accept magic! A lot must happen in he last few episodes if all the characters stories are to be completed, that's all i can say.**


	15. Chapter 15

**A:N: This is the last chapter. I hope the ending doesn't disappoint. (Ditto for the whole series, although I have no control over that!)  
Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed, alerted and enjoyed. As any of he authors reading this will know, it is so satisfying and justifying to get praise and feedback on something you have written. YOU ARE ALL WONDERFUL!  
In this chapter Arthur will be told all (almost all) that Gaius and Merlin know about the erky Agravaine's dodgy behaviour. I can't believe Arthur would have just left well enough alone - he woud need to know the details of his Uncle's betrayal I think.  
**

Later that morning, Arthur stood on the balcony overlooking the courtyard ready to make an official proclamation. Merlin made it back in time from Lancelot's send off to take up his customary position a few steps behind his King. The knights, Lords and Ladies of the Court and other members of the nobility stood below, with the rest of Camelot's citizenry behind them.

"I wish to make it abundantly clear to the Council, my esteemed guests and the people of Camelot that Sir Lancelot and Lady Guinevere are in no way to be held accountable for the events that occurred here two nights ago. There is irrefutable proof that they were both under the influence of sorcery; mere puppets in an ill fated attempt to usurp my throne. I will not have my future wife's virtue or the memory of one of my bravest, most noble knights sullied in any way. If anyone is to be blamed, it is the Lady Morgana and the late Lord Agravaine." A murmur spread throughout the Lords of the High Council at the mention of their former comrade. "My closest advisers have supplied evidence that Agravaine had not been acting in Camelot's best interests for some months. His attempt on Gaius' life was both an admission of guilt and proof that he aligned himself with Camelot's greatest enemy. As much as it pained me to do so, I myself carried out sentence upon the traitor."

Arthur quieted for a moment as a quiet swell of conversation began throughout the gathering.

"Now, people of Camelot, it is time to bury these unpleasant events and to look forward to happier times. The planned nuptials for myself and the Lady Guinevere will go ahead at dusk and our union will serve as a beacon of light for the future of this grand kingdom."

A few cheers started up from an area near the back of the crowd.

"In honour of my future Queen I declare the rest of today and tomorrow to be festival days!" Arthur finished his speech jubilantly, a great contrast to the sombre and mellow tone he began it with.

More and more cheers and shouts erupted as he gave a slight bow towards where Guinevere stood upon the stairs below and as Arthur made a move back into the castle, a spontaneous chorus of 'Long Live the King' was taken up. The volume grew as more and more joined in, the rumbling echoing and reverberating all around the courtyard. The very stones of Camelot themselves seemed to vibrate with energy as the peoples' voice took on a life all its own. From where he stood, Merlin could see Knights, nobles, merchants, peasants and even the poorest child joining in the chant. The light in the people's eyes conveyed both their love for and their trust in Arthur. Merlin felt pride swell in his chest and when Arthur turned his way to summon him back tom his chambers it was all Merlin could do to stop himself from crying with happiness. This is what he was fighting for. This was why he sacrificed so much. For Arthur. The Once and Future King!

* * *

Some ten days had gone by since the wedding before Arthur got the chance to sit down with Gaius and Merlin to discuss Lord Agravaine's treasonous actions. They were gathered in the Physician's Chambers after another long day of training, council meetings and other tiring activities. The sun had set many hours hence and heavy rain was falling down outside which did nothing to help lighten the intense atmosphere inside.

"Even from the beginning, he was deceiving me wasn't he?" Arthur asked rhetorically, thinking back to Agravaine's cruel taunts during their duel in The Valley of the Fallen Kings. "He told me as such when we fought."

The King could not bring himself to look at either Merlin or Gaius as he spoke, instead staring into the contents of the mug held tightly in his hands.

"I fear you are correct Sire," Gaius nodded.

Arthur made no mention of the reason his Uncle gave him regarding his need for vengeance; that would come later. For now, finding out all Merlin and Gaius knew about Agravaine's deviousness would be enough.

"Perhaps it is best to leave the past alone Sire," Gaius suggested sagely. "It will only cause you more pain to hear of all your Uncle's deceptions and there is nothing that can be done to undo what has already happened."

Arthur stood abruptly from the rude wooden bench he was seated upon and took a few paces away from where Gaius sat with his ward. Turning back toward them he fixed both men in turn with an impassioned gaze.

"I need to know Gaius." Arthur implored eyes wide with need. "I understand your misgivings but I am so tired of all the lies. Please, both of you, tell me what you know."

Merlin and Gaius looked at each other and Arthur could see them coming to a silent agreement.

"We'll tell you all we know." Merlin sighed in resignation. "But Gaius' is right. You can't change anything now."

"Thank you," Arthur flopped back down onto his seat in relief.

"So, where would you like us to start Sire?" asked Gaius.

Arthur waved a hand in the air. "At the beginning. When was the first time you suspected him of not being sincere?"

Merlin shifted uncomfortably, dreading what his friend would have to hear next.

"I am sorry to tell you this Sire but we believe that Agravaine was involved in your father's demise." Gaius paused momentarily to let the news sink in. "The Sorcerer who tried to heal Uther was not successful because a charm had been placed around your father's neck prior to his efforts. Only somebody with knowledge of the Old Religion could have forged such a charm Sire and I think we would be safe in the assumption that it was the Lady Morgana."

"And what was the nature of my Uncle's involvement?" (1)

"Somebody had to have placed that charm on your father and there were only a handful of people who had access to do so." Merlin leant forward as he spoke. "It obviously wasn't Gwen, Gaius, myself or Sir Leon...so it had to have been Agravaine." The fact that Merlin had seen the Lord sneak out of the castle in the dark hours of night on more than one occasion only added to their suspicions. However he dared not tell Arthur this: it would only bring up questions he could not answer.

"Why the hell didn't you say something earlier?" Arthur shouted. "Didn't it occur to you that I deserved to know the truth about my father's death?!" Fortunately both Merlin and Gaius had known Arthur long enough to understand the anger he manifested was probably just a shield for the shock, pain and helplessness he was feeling.

"I'm sorry Arthur." Merlin beseeched. "You were suffering enough already. We were only trying to save you more pain."

Arthur looked ready to burst with frustration. He squeezed at the bridge of his nose and breathed deeply in a deliberate effort to suppress his rage.

"It was my decision to keep these things from you Sire; don't blame Merlin." Gaius glanced at Merlin as he spoke, hoping his ward would comply with his story. Merlin raised his eyebrows at the lie; in truth they had both agreed to stay silent as they were not sure how Arthur would react to their accusations against the relation he had put all his trust and confidence in.

"What else did he do then?" Arthur asked tone still snappy with anger. What else had they been keeping from him?

"During that whole business with Carleon," Merlin began explaining. "I think you've already realised for yourself how his 'advice' almost started a war. Well we believe was deliberately manipulating you in the hopes of bringing about unrest. A full scale war would have played directly into his and Morgana's hands even more so." (2)

Arthur switched his gaze from his friends onto the floor as he replayed the events in his head.

He had fully believed that Agravaine was helping him to find his way and that his guidance was given with love and good intentions. What was wrong with him that he couldn't see through the facade? It had been the same when Morgana had been scheming with Morgause. Was it his judgement that was completely lacking or was he just a gullible fool?

"I can see that now but ... at the time." The King's voice was weak and haunted.

"Arthur!" Merlin knew how much pain Arthur must be in if he was sounding so defeated and he was determined to get him out of it. "You may have acted unwisely in forcing the King of Carleon's hand but you rectified the situation as best you could; war was avoided and nobody was injured. It was your independent decisions and actions that saved things Arthur."

"Camelot and Queen Annis have a better relationship now than they've had in years." Gaius added. It was not easy for him to see the brave young man he'd known since birth brought so low either.

Arthur raised his eyebrows while considering their words but still refused to look up from where he studied the floor.

"He was the one who leaked the details of our secret path through The Valley of the Fallen Kings wasn't he?" (3) Arthur turned toward Gaius as another piece of the puzzle fell into place, rising to his feet in agitation. "He was the one who acted with Morgana to arrange your kidnapping!" He cried in disgust. "And then placed all the evidence so it would look as though you had run away!"

Gaius nodded sagely. "I could not tell you at that stage Arthur. There were just too many complications. Until we had irrefutable proof, we dare not."

Arthur paced across the room to where a cooking pot hung over the fire and stared into the flames contemplatively. After several moments he finally spoke again.

"I have been deluding myself as to how in touch I am with everything that is taking place around me. I cannot judge the reasons why you decided to keep that fact from me Gaius but I sincerely wish I had been told the truth from the outset."

"You would not have believed it Arthur! I tried to tell you Gaius was innocent after your Uncle slandered him but you wouldn't listen then. Do you really think you would have listened if we had told you Agravaine was a traitor?" Merlin tried to keep the anger out of his voice but it wasn't easy.

Arthur examined Merlin's face as he spoke, his expression becoming pinched as he carefully considered what his friend said.

"No, you're right. I would not have listened." He admitted somewhat grudgingly at last. Arthur turned away again but not before Merlin and Gaius had seen the self blame written all over his features. His posture was stiff with tension and he had his arms crossed in front of his chest defensively.

"Sire," Gaius appealed gently. "You cannot hold yourself responsible. Agravaine saw a young man who was vulnerable after the breakdown of his father; a young man who had been thrown into a position of incredible responsibility and power. He exploited the situation using all the guile and duplicity he was capable of."

"Not to mention the assistance he had from Morgana." Merlin added.

"All the same, I've been a fool and it almost cost me everything I hold dear." Arthur reflected. He had been so close to believing Guinevere guilty of unfaithfulness and Gaius had almost died an innocent at the hands of his kidnappers after he had dismissed the old man as a traitor. What's more, the kingdom had been on the brink of war because of his misplaced reliance on his Uncle.

"In the future I want you to inform me if anything like this happens again. I promise I want punish you for your honesty."

"Yeah, you say that now. But once a prat, always a prat." Merlin smirked, doing his utmost to get things back to normal. To his great relief, Arthur took his lead.

"Merlin, if you've got time to sit around here insulting your King I'm sure I can find some armour for you to clean or some boots to polish!" He shouted, cuffing his friend over the head as he stalked past him toward the door.

"Ow!" Merlin whined. "Cabbagehead." He added under his breath as he got up to follow Arthur back to his chambers.

"What was that Merlin?" Gaius admonished, as pleased to see a return to the casual interactions as the other two.

King and servant both left the room, leaving Gaius shaking his head fondly before Arthur suddenly appeared in the door frame again.

"Thank you Gaius. Your loyalty and honesty is beyond measure." He bowed his head to the physician hoping his actions would relay his intentions more thoroughly than his words.

As he trotted up the stairs to his and Guinevere's chambers, Merlin a step behind, Arthur found himself thinking of matters he had not brought up. The things Agravaine had told him about his birth and the nature of Ygraine's death were exactly the same as what he had been told so many years ago when Morgause had conjured his mother as reward for a deed done. It seemed highly unlikely that he would be told the same intricate lie twice, which meant only one thing; that it was true and his whole existence was based upon lies.

"Merlin, I want you to promise me there will be no more lies. I want to know the truth, about everything, even if it does hurt." When Merlin failed to reply, he continued speaking. "I fear much of my life revolves around things I do not understand or things that have been kept from me."

Merlin's stomach clenched at Arthur's words, the irony sitting painfully and heavily upon him.

"I consider you to be one of my most trustworthy fr... ah, subjects Merlin and I hope, as such, you will never again lie to me." Arthur turned around as he finished speaking, pinning Merlin with his determined gaze. The pair had stopped walking and it was obvious to both that Arthur knew something that Merlin thought he'd kept concealed.

Merlin nodded dumbly, wracking his brain for something that may have given him away. Had somebody else apart from Gwaine and Percival witnessed his magic? Had he left his magic books lying around in Gaius' chambers again?

"Well Merlin. Have you anything you need to confess?" Arthur continued to glare.

"Ahhhh, well. You promise you won't get angry or banish me or anything?" Merlin stuttered nervously.

Arthur blanched slightly as he absorbed the fact that there really was something Merlin was keeping from him.

"I think we better find a place where we won't be disturbed Sire, if you really wish for me to tell you all the secrets I hold."

"Lucky Guinevere is away for the evening then isn't it?"

As the night proceeded, Merlin did indeed find the bravery to bare his soul and Arthur found the strength to hear him out. And as the sun rose over the horizon at dawn, both men's lives had been changed forever; no longer did Merlin feel crushed by the weight of his secret burden and no longer was Arthur's existence shrouded in lies and deceit. The night had not passed without arguments, blame and threats but as a cockerel began to crow off in the lower town, the two men stood side by side, gazing out the window as Camelot's citizens started the day's activities. Both were ready for the new day and all that lay ahead of them. Together they would face whatever challenges came their way and using means both magical and non magical they would forge a united, peaceful Albion and see Arthur to his rightful place as the Once and Future King. Not to mention Merlin's rightful place beside him as Albion's greatest and most powerful sorcerer.

* * *

**A\N: **

**1. From the episode "The Wicked Day" 04 03  
****2. From the episode "His Father's son". 04 05  
****3. From the episodes "A Servant of two Master's" and "The Secret Sharer". 04 07 and 04 08.****  
Some of this chapter was inspired by the talk Gaius and Arthur had at the end of "The Secret Sharer". (There is not enough interaction between these two on the show.  
I know things seem to wrap up kind of quickly there, but I had an overwhelming need for Merlin to reveal his magic to Arthur. I hate how he is manipulated so much and it's getting worse as time goes by. Plus, i think the longer it takes for Merlin to tell Arthur what the hell has ben going on, the harder it will be for him to accept it. Not to mention I am beginning to wonder if we will get to this point at all on the show.**


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